GOLF - Quest for cup given a boost

NORTHLAND'S top amateur golfer Gary John Hill has good reason for confidence at this weekend's prestigious Riversdale Cup tournament near Melbourne, by earning a share of second place in the lead-up event.
Hill and Auckland's Ben Wallace finished at the Australian Foursomes championships also held at the Riversdale Golf Club, in Mt Waverley on Wednesday by firing a three-under 141.
The event was won by the Western Australian pair of Michael Foster and Michael Denis with a score of six-under 138.
The Kiwis shared second place three shots back with the Australian champion pairing of Tim Stewart and Rohan Blizard. New Zealand amateur champion Danny Lee (BOP) and Nick Gillespie (Hawkes Bay) fired a three over 147 along with Peter Spearman-Burn (Wellington) and Kevin Smith (BOP) while Travis O'Connell (Auckland) and Jared Pender (BOP) combined for a nine-over 153.
The Riversdale Cup is the second oldest amateur golf event in Australia, this year celebrating its 113th anniversary, with former winners including leading professionals Robert Allenby and Aaron Baddeley.
The only New Zealander to win the title was Mathew Holten, who is now a Christchurch-based professional.
Despite his good performance in the foursomes, Hill was only a reserve for the tournament and was one of the last to tee off in yesterday's first round, with his score too late to make today's edition. There are two further rounds scheduled for today and tomorrow with the championship round to be played on Monday.
Hill's presence in the New Zealand team for the event caps off a good week for him after he was once again named in New Zealand Golf's Titleist academy national squad.
However, the 19-year-old's Australian trip made him unavailable for this weekend's big tournament on this side of the Tasman, the SBS Invitational in Invercargill.
The weakened Northland men's team will be trying for a top 10 finish at the event, with the team led by this year's number two Dale Clark. Waipu's Tony Mayo is the only other member of the Northland interprovincial team making the trip to Invercargill but the side is a balanced one with Dale Clark, Gene Wintle and Mitchell Price rounding out the numbers.
Each district sends a five-man team to compete over four rounds of stroke play, with the usual suspects Auckland, North Harbour and Bay of Plenty regarded as the favourites. There are two rounds today and two tomorrow with the four best scores counted after each round.
Northland's number-one female golfer Caroline Bon will also attend the event as part of a New Zealand women's team invited to compete this year.