Fellow lefties Marcus Gray (left) and Zach Rolls are a year older and golfing wiser after making their men's national interprovincials debuts in 2023 and are in the six-man squad for the 2024 edition being hosted by the Russley and Harewood courses in Christchurch next week. Photo / Paul Rickard
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S NATIONAL INTERPROVINCIALS
Where: Russley and Harewood golf courses.
When: December 3-7.
Who: 15 provinces in the men’s tournament; 12 provinces in women’s tournament.
Tairāwhiti men’s team: Hukanui Brown, William Brown, Dan Collier, Marcus Gray, Neil Hansen, Zach Rolls.
Tairāwhiti draw:
TUESDAY - Russley, round 1, v Waikato; round 2 v Auckland.
WEDNESDAY - Harewood, round 3, v Taranaki; round 4, v Canterbury.
THURSDAY - Russley, round 5 v Southland.
FRIDAY - Russley, round 6, bye; round 7 v Manawatu-Wanganui.
Semifinals and the final are on Saturday.
Long-serving Tairāwhiti manager Dave Keown will stress a basic message to his team before each round of the 2024 men’s national interprovincial in Christchurch next week...”keep it simple.”
Keown has seen the hard work that has been put in by the six men who will fly the Tairāwhiti flag at the week-long teams’ matchplay tournament being jointly hosted by the Russley and Harewood clubs.
Having been part of the representative system for many years, he knows his teams well and is confident the 2024 Tairāwhiti crew can match it with the cream of New Zealand’s amateur golfers.
“It’s all looking pretty good,” Keown said three days out from the event which will see 15 provincial teams converge to decide the men’s champions, and 13 provinces contest the women’s title.
The Tairāwhiti team are Hukanui Brown, William Brown, Dan Collier, Marcus Gray, Neil Hansen and Zach Rolls.
The players range in experience from William Brown, competing in his 16th consecutive national interprovincials, to Collier, 15-year-old Gray and 19-year-old Rolls, who made their debuts last year.
Keown has faith in all of them.
“At No 1 is the guy making the most birdies in the district at the moment: Hukanui Brown,” Keown said. “He’s lost a few kilos and is looking a champion.
“Willie Brown, at No 2...we all know his ability and I think with a couple of rounds under his belt in Christchurch, he will be big challenge to most people he plays.”
Brown has only just shifted to Queenstown to take up a greenkeeping role at the prestigious Jack’s Point course after 10 years at Poverty Bay Golf Club.
Keown described No 3 Collier in one word: “flusher”.
“He strikes it as good as any of them...once he gets going, gets a little confidence [and with] the experience he gained last year, I think we have a true chance there.”
Gray and Rolls also gained valuable experience in 2023 and Keown said next week would offer “massive opportunities” for them.
Keown said their likely strategy would be to rotate Gray, Hansen and Rolls over the week.
Tairāwhiti are by far the smallest province in the country with a small base of talent from which to choose.
But over the years they have knocked off some big names and Keown sees no reason why they can’t add to that.
There’s no secret formula to achieving that success.
“Hit fairways, hit greens, make opportunities,” Keown said. “Keep it simple...that’s the nature of the game...[but] it’s not just hitting the good shots. It’s also where you leave [the ball from] the ones that aren’t quite right.”
Gisborne’s Tessa McDonald will clock up another women’s national interprovincial which is again being held alongside the men’s tournament.
McDonald, a member of the Poverty Bay and Puketitiri clubs, is at No 2 in the Hawke’s Bay squad. Her teammates are Kayla Van De Ven (Hastings), Ruby Jarvis (Hastings), Devon Henare (Napier), Martha Manaena (Hastings) and Janie Field (Napier), who is also manager.
Hawke’s Bay start their campaign against defending champions Manawatu-Wanganui on Tuesday morning at the Harewood course, followed by Northland, Wellington and Taranaki at Russley on Wednesday, Aorangi at Russley on Thursday, and North Harbour at Harewood on Friday.
McDonald goes into the week with a history of success at the national interprovincials, including three wins in Wellington last year.
It comes days after his daughter died following a lengthy battle with cancer.