Golf: Heady stuff that Waikato water

By BOB PEARCE

Maybe there's something in that Waikato water after all - and Auckland golfers should drink up large.

As New Zealand professionals have made the headlines across the world in the past few weeks, Waikato has played a part in four of the five success stories.

If our top amateur men - with Mooloo man Brad Shilton in their ranks - could win the Eisenhower Trophy in Malaysia this weekend, it would cap a year of golfing success unrivalled in its extent.

October has been a stellar month. Phil Tataurangi won for the first time on the US PGA Tour, David Smail won the Japan Open and Michael Campbell reached the semifinals of the world matchplay championship.

Steve Alker moved to 10th on the Buy. Com tour rankings to all but guarantee a full US PGA card next year and Michael Long had one of his best results of the year in Florida to boost his confidence ahead of the US PGA Tour school.

Tataurangi, Alker, Smail and Long all played together in Waikato amateur golf teams and Tataurangi and Alker still consult John Griffin, the professional who developed their skills.

New Zealand's golden golfing year began in January with world No 1 Tiger Woods competing in the New Zealand Open at Paraparaumu.

But his golf and the weather were on a par and the tournament was won by genial Aussie Craig Parry. A certain C. Perks (NZ) was in equal 17th place, 10 shots off the pace and largely unnoticed.

A couple of months later he was world famous after winning the Tournament Players' Championship at Ponte Vedra, pocketing US$1.08 million ($2.23 million).

Victory in what is dubbed the 'Fifth Major' brought entry to the Majors, tour exemptions and celebrity status to the man from Palmerston North, who had gone to college in Louisiana and then spent years on the fringe of the big tour. The manner of his win was stunning with a mixture of miracle shots.

In April, Alker gave his hopes of finishing in the top 15 on the Buy. Com tour and winning a PGA Tour card a huge boost by winning the Louisiana Open in a playoff. The prize was a fairly modest US$81,000 but is a big hunk of the US$202,208, which has him 10th on the money list with one tournament to play.

In June Lynnette Brooky capped some good form on the European women's tour by winning the French Open in Arras and NZ$80,100. The following month she was 12th in the US Women's Open, earning US$54,201.

Campbell, ranked 18th in the world, played well on both sides of the Atlantic, except for some stutters in the Majors. In July he won the Irish Open in Dublin and a first prize of NZ$1.05 million.

Tataurangi's victory in the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas on October 13 came 10 years after he was the leading amateur at the Eisenhower Trophy in Vancouver and moved him to 33rd on the USPGA money list with US$1,643,686.

Smail's win last Sunday in the Japan Open earned him NZ$397,000 and was his first in that country.

Our impressive amateurs, led by Eddie Lee, have had a number of successes. Lee, in fact, beat the professionals in the Maekyung Open in South Korea in May. But amid all the millions of dollars one thing is missing: Victory in a Major.

Forty years on from Bob Charles' British Open - winner's cheque £1500 - maybe 2003 will bring another.