Golf: Options wide open for Open

New Zealand Golf has still to decide where the national Open will be held next January, but Gulf Harbour has emerged as one of the possibilities.

Women's Golf is also promoting a professional event, but will need to secure firm sponsorship soon if it is to go ahead as planned in February.

The men's event will run from January 15-18 and will be a tribute to Sir Bob Charles.

The sentimental venue would be Wellington Golf Club, where Charles won his first Open in 1954.

But chief executive Peter Dale says there are good reasons for holding it in Auckland again.

"We were impressed by the Auckland crowd at Middlemore this year," he said. "We want to build up that loyalty, and you lose that if you chop and change.

"We had a good experience at the Auckland Golf Club and we would go back there tomorrow, but you can't ask them to take it on again so soon.

"I can honestly say we haven't yet made a decision, but we will have to make one in the next 10 days."

If the Open returns to Auckland, one of the favoured options is Gulf Harbour at Whangaparaoa, where the World Cup was staged in 1998. Remuera has also been mentioned.

New Zealand Golf has to be financially prudent in staging its major event. The national body posted a $255,479 net deficit for the last calendar year. There was a similar deficit the year before.

Women's Golf is committed to facilitating a professional Open, but will not go ahead until sponsorship is secured. A voluntary $5 levy of members will not proceed until plans are firmed up.

The preferred date is in February and the executive director, Anne Fitzpatrick, has a commitment from big-hitting Englishwoman Laura Davies to take part.

Negotiations for sponsorship are being held in association with Bob Tuohy, promoter of the Australian Women's Masters and the Clearwater Classic in Christchurch.

Tuohy apparently favours an Auckland venue, and Gulf Harbour and Remuera have apparently been approached.

Remuera is already committed to staging a major amateur event, the Commonwealth Trophy, involving five-player teams from New Zealand, Britain, Canada, Australia and South Africa. New Zealand have never won the 40-year-old event.

The tournament will run from November 4-8.

Women's Golf is keen to have a pro tournament, but if full sponsorship is not in place in good time, the Open may be postponed until 2005.

* * *

New Zealand's Marnie McGuire won US$7430 ($13,200) for her 30th place in the Takefugi Classic at the weekend.

The Aucklander, with a final round of 69, was 10 shots off the winning total of Candie Kung. McGuire is 62nd on the money list with $US21,559 in earnings for the season. Money leader Annika Sorenstam has won US$500,000.

Grant Waite made his second appearance of the year on the Nationwide tour, finishing ninth equal in the Arkansas Classic. He is 52nd in the money list with US$12,065.

* * *

In the pampered world of the United States PGA tour, the golfers are chauffeured from course to hotel to airport in the Buicks provided by one of the tour's major sponsor.

If you're Tiger Woods or one of the other well-established stars, there is a private jet to whisk you away to the next venue.

But particularly in the early months of the year, when the tournaments are clustered around Florida, where many of the pros live, the players commute in their own vehicles.

Davis Love III, who is on a hot streak and heads Masters winner Mike Weir and Woods on the money list, has a luxury motorhome, as does John Daly.

The most popular vehicle of choice is the Mercedes Benz S500, piloted by such players as Jeff Sluman and Jesper Parnevik. Chris DiMarco has the even ritzier Mercedes CL55.

But Aussie Peter Lonard has the petrolhead touch. His Lincoln Blackwood pickup has oversize sport rims and lowered suspension. It looks very fast, even standing still.

* * *

BOX BOX BOXThe 17 finalists for the Montana Interclub Challenge to be staged at Pakuranga on May 3 are:

The Grange, Napier, Golf City, Rarangi, Motueka, Poverty Bay, Whangarei, Invercargill, Otago, New Plymouth, Paraparaumu, Springfield, Gleniti, Westport, Christchurch, Lochiel and Redwood Park.

Teams of four will play 36 holes of strokeplay, with the best three scores to count.

* * *

Ninety-three-year-old Clarice Espiner is the toast of the Thames Golf Club after scoring a hole in one on the par-three eighth.

She is a life member of the club, patron of the Thames Squash Club and former headmistress of Thames High School.

She regularly plays two to three 18-hole rounds weekly - and mows her own lawns.

The eighth hole is usually 124m, but when Espiner played with the Golden Oldies, it had been reduced to its Wednesday length of 80-90m.