Golf: Team back themselves

If you enjoy a flutter, Northland are a long shot that might be worth backing to win the Garrard Shield at the Royal Auckland this weekend.

Number-one Brad Bonnington said there is a quiet confidence in the team as they field one of their strongest ever challenges for the Shield and the Ralph Cup.

The team needed a half against Waikato after wins over Taranaki and Auckland, to win the recent quadrangular in Auckland but couldn't quite manage it, losing 3-5. "We're backing ourselves as a realistic chance to win.

"At The Grange in the quad a few weeks ago, we put ourselves in with a big chance to win after the first day and we just came up short but we proved to ourselves how much potential we've got," he said.

A 4-4 draw at an earlier quad against the always strong Bay of Plenty showed just how talented the young side is. "There are some great prospects for the future in the side, players like Chase McKeown, Sean Masters and Luke Brown who have really come on this year and there are others below them who are really pushing hard," he said.

Bonnington, who has played for the Northland senior team for more than 10 years since debuting aged 15, said players like Thomas Neylon, not to mention Braden Keown, 16, are really pushing to get into the top-eight.

Keown, who is playing at number-one for the Under 19 Ralph Cup team figured prominently as Northland won the Junior Interprovincial in Cambridge for the first time this year - and who won the junior quad, again for the first time.

The Garrard Shield is the final selection game for the Toro Mens Interprovincials - with the team named at the prize giving on Sunday.

Bonnington said with the competition so close even his own place isn't assured."It's going to be really tough for Roy (Pelsky) to pick the six to go away because there's not a lot of difference between one to eight in the team for the first time in a long time - someone's going to be unlucky to miss out but it's a great position for Northland golf to be in."

He said there isn't a player in the team who isn't highly motivated to play well at Middlemore.

"Everyone has to put in a good performance and I don't think anyone feels comfortable they'll make the team and Brett (Dormer) and I are out to prove ourselves this weekend and hold onto our spots, among a bunch of young players on the rise."

Northland Senior team: Brad Bonnington, Alex Neely, Chase Mckeown, Sean Masters, Luke Brown, Kadin Neho, Brett Dormer, Lee Neumann. Reserve: Thomas Neylon.

Under-19 team (Ralph Cup): Braden Keown, Julian Fowler, Taylor Gill, Ben Bowmar. Reserve: Liam Young.

Team Managers' team (Bell Trophy): Roy Pelsky, Neil Sorenson, Brian Mulcahy and Ralph Sansbury.