Golf: Nationals plate event shelved

Traditionalists mourned the loss of the plate event for players beaten in the first round of the matchplay at the nationals. But golf director Phil Aickin said New Zealand had been out of step with Australia, Britain and the US, which no longer had a plate.

Aickin, who won the plate in 1988, said young players today had little interest in prolonging their stays for a subsidiary event.

Among the better-known winners in NZ have been Stuart Jones (1965-68-72), Ross Murray (1960-75), Ted McDougall (1985), Phil Tataurangi (1992) and Brad Heaven (2000). The last winner was Te Awamutu's Brad Shilton at Dunedin last year.