Golf: Australia dominate Trans-Tasman Cup

Australia easily retained the Trans-Tasman Cup. Photo / Getty Images

Australia comfortably retained the Trans-Tasman Cup by beating New Zealand by 34 1/2 to 13 1/2 at the Peninsula Golf Club in Melbourne yesterday.

The defending champions, who put on a commanding performance to lead 16 1/2 to 7 1/2 after day one, backed that up in round two for a comprehensive win.

The only bright spot for the Kiwis was the men's team of Ben Campbell, Vaughan McCall, Mathew Perry and Blair Riordan won the Sloan Morpeth Trophy by 6 1/2 to 5 1/2 .

The Aussies fought back by winning both of the foursomes matches in the morning to get within one point but wins to Mathew Perry and Vaughan McCall in the singles got them home.

But it was a dominant performance from Australia in all of the other contests.

The women, who on day one managed only one point with a win to Chantelle Cassidy in the singles, came up with only one point again on day two through Emily Perry and Cassidy in the foursomes.

The Kiwi pair defeated Grace Lennon and Breanna Elliott by 4 and 2 but lost all of the singles matches in the afternoon session to lose by 10-2.

It was a similar story in both the junior boys and girls, who received a steep learning curve in their first international tour for New Zealand. The junior girls were beaten 10-2 and the junior boys went down by a margin of 9-3.

New Zealand have not won the trophy since it began in 2007.

Results from the Trans-Tasman Cup, Peninsula Golf Club, Melbourne:
Overall result: Australia 34 1/2 New Zealand 13 1/2
Men: New Zealand 6 1/2 Australia 5 1/2
Women: Australia 10 New Zealand 2
Junior girls: Australia 10 New Zealand 2
Junior boys: Australia 9 New Zealand 3