KEY POINTS:
Australia dominated the second annual Trans Tasman Cup amateur international against New Zealand in Wellington yesterday.
The Australians won the weather-affected event 25-15 at Royal Wellington, proving too strong in wet conditions that were expected to favour the home team.
While New Zealand won three of the four trophies in the inaugural event in Australia last year, they were able to retain only the Clare Higson Trophy for junior men after sharing the honours 5-5.
Australia gained a major advantage in the junior women to win the Junior Tasman Cup 7 1/2 to 2 1/2, while they also lifted the Tasman Cup for senior women 7-3 and the Sloan Morpeth Trophy for senior men 5 1/2 to 4 1/2.
Trailing 10-6 overnight after wet weather restricted the first day to singles competition only, New Zealand yesterday lost the reverse singles 9-7 and the afternoon foursomes 6-2 in bright sunshine.
"While the scoreboard was disappointing, the positive was some very strong golf by the New Zealanders," New Zealand Golf high performance manager David Graham said.
"The standard of golf from most of the team was excellent and it is hard to criticise the players when they finished under the card but were still beaten.
"It has shown them the areas of their game they have to work on to be successful at the international standard.
"We have a much smaller talent pool in our junior ranks, the women especially, and that does not mean that our women do not have talent but they will need a couple more years to develop their ball striking."
The Australians were naturally delighted with the outcome.
"It was still pretty close, with a lot of the matches going down to the wire," Australian national coach Peter Knight said.
"Once again the junior women gave us a flying start as they did last year, and the moral support that gave us at the front of the field was important. In the end the wet weather was no disadvantage. You just have to readjust and get on with it."
Best of the New Zealanders was Nick Gillespie, who won both his singles, while debutantes Ben Campbell, the national under-23 champion, and Daniel Pearce were unbeaten in singles.
The decision to rush Danny Lee home from Spain - where he played for Asia Pacific last weekend against Europe - did not work out.
Lee was below his best in losing both his singles contests.
- NZPA