Golf: Expatriate Kiwi has solid win over Best

By Bob Pearce

Andrew Duffin has lived in Queensland for 11 years, but he would like to think he could still be a New Zealand representative golfer.

Yesterday, the 21-year-old from the Oxley Club did his cause no harm by walloping New Zealand representative Richard Best 5 and 4 in the first round of the national matchplay championship at Remuera.

In perfect conditions on a course where both his grandfather and father had been members, Duffin did not miss a green and putted like a dream. He was three or four under the card when the match finished.

It was a far cry from the only tournament golf he contested before the family left for Australia - third placing in a peewee tournament at Akarana when he was only five.

Duffin's win was one of few upsets of the only round played yesterday. Brad Shilton, from Te Awamutu, who had played well in the strokeplay, holed a long birdie putt on the last to beat one of the Australian team, Scott Gardiner, one up.

New Zealand Eisenhower representative Eddie Burgess (Tauranga) faltered over the second nine to lose 3 and 1 to Bruce Grant (Queenstown).

Gareth Paddison (Manor Park), who won the strokeplay title on Wednesday, had a comfortable win over Queenslander Matt Ballard 3 and 2, but the strokeplay runner-up, Australian Aaron Baddeley, struggled against Jason Laing (Kaingaroa Forest).

Laing was one up after the 10th and missed a chance to go two up on the 11th as his 18-year-old opponent struggled with his game.

They came to the 16th all square. Laing found the trees with his drive and could not match Baddeley's birdie. The Australian clinched the match with a long putt for birdie on the next.

Waikato 16-year-old Jason Walters came back from three down to take New Zealand representative Reon Sayer (Carterton) to the last. He had a chance to extend the match but missed a five-footer for birdie on the 18th.

The only former champion in the field, Chris Johns (Auckland), will play Baddeley this morning in what could be the match of the second round. Another high-powered pairing pits Sayer against another national representative, Brad Heaven (Remuera).

The survivors in the Heineken championship will play two rounds today from 8am. Tomorrow the semifinalists will play 36 holes and the final on Sunday will also be over 36.