Peter Williams: Talent is biggest consideration when it comes to choosing a team

The Auckland Golf Association picked Seve Ha for its under 23 team this week - amazing when you consider he's only 13 and isn't a New Zealand resident or citizen.

There's no doubting his ability. He's been a scratch handicapper since arriving from Korea a couple of years ago. Last year he narrowly lost in the final of the Akarana senior club championship. In January, still only 12, he shot 72 at Whitford Park in the first stage of qualifying for the New Zealand Open.

In September he won the New Zealand Under 15 title on his home course at Akarana, seeing off national junior representative Sam Shin in the process. Then, two weeks ago, a second round of four under par 67 at Whitford Park took him to individual honours in the Roy Pye Cup, the Auckland under 23 interclub strokeplay championship.

With those credentials he's become one of the best junior prospects in the country, but until this week was not part of any represen-tative team or training squad because of his immigration status.

The question of whether Koreans and other nationalities who are here on student visas should be part of representative golf is a vexed one. The New Zealand Golf policy is that no one can be selected for a national team unless they hold a New Zealand passport or have permanent resident status. The logic in that is beyond reproach because the International Golf Federation, which runs the World Amateur Team Championships and is the golf body affiliated to the International Olympic Committee, insists that all members of national teams must be citizens or permanent residents of the country they represent.

Most provincial associations, including Auckland, have followed the policy of the national body, although the policy was a recommendation only. But then a few started breaking the mould as they watched some of these phenomenally talented and hard working boys and girls, mostly from Korea, develop into low handicap players and start playing well in tournaments.

Bay of Plenty, North Harbour, Northland and Taranaki have enjoyed the benefits of selecting the likes of Terry Hong, Jae An (before he became a New Zealand resident) and Mi Kyung Kim for representative teams.

But there's been resentment too. Why, it's asked, should Korean kids get the chance to play representative golf and have coaching provided for them instead of New Zealand kids? The answer to that is pretty obvious. Any selector, in any sport, wants to have his or her best available players in a team. They have a better chance of winning.

I must disclose my interest in the Seve Ha case. As president at Akarana I've lobbied the Auckland association for most of the year to pick him for their junior teams. The association were reluctant because they could see no progress from either the boy himself or his mother towards becoming New Zealand residents. But we've now convinced them that Seve, who starts at Mt Roskill Grammar next year, is in New Zealand because of the opportunities here to develop his golf, and will apply for residency when he's old enough. His mother is here to look after him and lives apart from her husband in Korea for the sake of her son.

Seve's future intentions (not to mention that 67 at Whitford Park), were enough to sway the Auckland association.

He becomes the third Korean-born player in the provincial under 23 team along with New Zealand residents Kevin Chun and Jumbo Kim. The provincial women's team had four out of five from that country.

Just why Koreans are dominating junior golf more and more is a subject for another day.