Golf: Kiwis hiding in rough

Lynnette Brooky has won three European Tour titles. Picture / Bay Of Plenty Times

New Zealand golfers Lynnette Brooky and Gina Scott hope to sneak in under the radar while attention is directed elsewhere at the World Cup starting in South Africa today.

The pair are freed of the burden of expectation at the Sun City Resort near Johannesburg. That is partly due to their relative anonymity in a field of glamour names, as well as their 18th placing among 20 nations in last year's inaugural event at Fancourt in South Africa.

The distractions are plentiful in a field containing Swedish superstar Annika Sorenstam, American teenager Paula Creamer and English legend Laura Davies.

Among the 40 players taking part are six with Solheim Cup experience, 10 of the LPGA Tour's top 30 in the United States and 13 of the top 30 from the Ladies European Tour.

Brooky and Scott have barely warranted a second glance this week as they prepare for the tournament on the Gary Player-designed Country Club course. Teams will compete for a purse of US$1.1 million ($1.6 million) over three rounds of fourball, foursomes and combined strokeplay.

The New Zealanders' credentials are, at best, modest in comparison with much of the field, although Brooky, 38, has won three European Tour titles since 1998 and finished 13th on the tour's money list last year with earnings of €96,400 ($172,636).

Scott lost her European card after a disappointing season last year when she was 125th on the money list with tournament income of €5200, following several solid years on that continent.

The pair will find some comfort in the fact that all the pre-tournament attention 12 months ago settled on the US, Australia and England - only for the Asian nations to dominate as Japan won, the Philippines finished second and Korea third.

Brooky and Scott begin the tournament paired against the Philippines duo of Dorothy Delasin and Ria Quizaon in the opening round of betterball.
TEAMS

Australia: Shani Waugh, Rachel Hetherington.

Brazil: Candy Hannemann, Luciana Bemvenuti.

Canada: Lori Kane, AJ Eathorne.

Columbia: Marissa Baena, Cristina Baena.

England: Kirsty Taylor, Laura Davies.

Finland: Minea Blomqvist, Riikka Hakkarainen.

France: Gwladys Nocera, Karine Icher.

Germany: Anja Monke, Miriam Nagl.

Italy: Veronica Zorzi, Silvia Cavalleri.

Japan: Ai Miyazato, Sakura Yokomine.

Korea: Meena Lee, Bo Bae Song.

NEW ZEALAND: LYNNETTE BROOKY, GINA SCOTT.

Philippines: Dorothy Delasin, Ria Quizaon.

Scotland: Catriona Matthew, Janice Moodie.

South Africa: Laurette Maritz, Ashleigh Simon.

Spain: Marta Prieto, Paula Marti.

Sweden: Annika Sorenstam, Liselotte Neumann.

Taiwan: Amy Hung, Yu Ping Lin.

United States: Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis.

Wales: Becky Brewerton, Becky Morgan.

- NZPA