Golf: Otago women squeak through to semifinals

Hosts Otago grabbed the final place in the semifinals of the women's interprovincial golf tournament at the St Clair course in Dunedin yesterday.

Otago halved their afternoon match against defending champions Auckland.

They meet unbeaten North Harbour in one Honda Cup semifinal, while Waikato-King Country meet Taranaki in the other.

Making it to the semis proved hard work for the host team, who sneaked through their morning clash 3-2 over Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley after New Zealand amateur champion Wendy Hawkes won the final two holes to beat Annette Almond 1-up in the crucial clash.

Waikato-King Country finished as top qualifiers in section one, beating Auckland and Southland 3-2 and 3 1/2 -1 1/2 respectively.

North Harbour, following their bye in the morning, were emphatic in dispatching Taranaki in their afternoon clash, 4-1, although both teams were already through to the semifinals.

There is a new look to the semifinalists, with Harbour having won the Honda Cup title only once, in 1995, Waikato-King Country also only once, in 1973, while Otago and Taranaki have never won the trophy in its 51-year history.

- NZPA