Juniors battle for decider ... again

After five rounds of golf, semifinals and a final, the winning Northland Junior Pennants team is still not clear.
It was all tied up between the Pines team and Mangawhai  after the recent final at Northern Wairoa but, this weekend, the two junior contingents will  battle it out once more at the  Kauri Cliffs Golf Course.
Junior Pennants organisers Lucas Remmerswaal and Bronnie Winter said it was a  difficult task deciding who exactly was the winner of the pennants final between the Pines and Mangawhai last month.
"The two top teams were neck and neck heading into it," Remmerswaal said.
"They teed off at 7.30am and, at 5pm after 36 holes, they were still all tied up. The light was bad, the referee had gone home - and I'm not a referee - so we had to make a decision.
"Bronnie and I made the call and declared the Pines team of Luke Brown, Chris Cresswell, Jacob Brown and Richard Devine,  and the Mangawhai team of Jacob Hassall, James Finlay, Gray McDougall and Daniel Hassall joint winners of the competition."
Last year's winners, Whangarei, battled it out for third  spot with Waipu in the final round.
 Whangarei overcame Waipu to claim third.
Twelve teams of four contested the Junior Pennants competition this year.  Five rounds were played at Mt Denby, Sherwood Park, Mangawhai, Waipu and Northland Golf Club courses.
The semis were played at  the Pines and the decider will take place at Kauri Cliffs this weekend.
The 48 players had demonstrated the depth of golfing talent in the region and, while pleased with first equal, the  teams were keen to establish a  true winner.
Kauri Cliffs'  Julian and Josie Robertson had made it possible for the Pines and Mangawhai teams to stage a "gentlemen's game" to settle the contest in a  friendly at one of the five top courses in New Zealand, Remmerswaal said.
"They (Pines and Mangawhai) are never going to forget who won at Kauri Cliffs," he said.
"It's supposed to be a friendly ... but these young players (under-18) are born assassins and are out there to win."
The two teams will tee-off at Kauri Cliffs  from 11.15am on Sunday.
It is match play and, should it  be tied up at the end of 18 holes, the captains will return to the first tee for a sudden death play off.