Golf: Weather puts wind up champs

By BOB PEARCE

A freezing southerly swept Sherwood Park yesterday, but ironically it was defending champions Wellington who faltered in the interprovincial championships.

And the home team, more used to subtropical zephyrs, prospered in the difficult conditions.

With three rounds to go, only North Harbour, Waikato and Bay of Plenty have perfect records.

But seven or eight teams remain in contention for the semifinals on Saturday.

Northland beat Wellington in the morning for the first time in 15 years.

With three holes to play it looked like another might-have-been. Michael Perrin had won, but Stuart Beren and Reuben Inglis had lost. Dale Clarke was two down with three to play and Alex Tait's match with Bradley Iles was too close to call.

Then 17-year-old Clarke staged a remarkable recovery, taking the last three holes to win one up.

Tait showed nerves of steel to hole a three-metre par putt to beat Iles by a similar margin.

In the afternoon Northland looked to be drifting out of contention against Manawatu-Wanganui until Inglis won his last two holes so that the teams finished level.

Bay of Plenty and North Harbour played only once yesterday. The Bay lead the points with three wins and 12 games, while Waikato and Harbour have three wins and 11. Auckland, thrashed 5-0 by Hawkes Bay yesterday, have three wins and 10 1/2 games, but have the bye today.

Harbour's 3 1/2 to 1 1/2 victory over Canterbury was convincing, with Chris Johns winning 7-6, Phil Mosley 4-3 and James Davis 4-3. Andrew Park provided the half.

Davis was one down to Canterbury's big Australian No 1, Ryan Haywood at the sixth, but then won the next six holes with eagle, birdie, par, birdie, par, birdie.

Waikato have been the dark horses of the tournament. Their No 1, Brad Shilton, lost to Craig van der Nagel, of Manawatu, in the morning, but roared back against Dion Milner, of Poverty Bay, in the afternoon.

Waikato's big test comes this morning when they play Canterbury.

Auckland came down with a thump against Hawkes Bay, runners-up last year, but themselves beaten by Taranaki in the previous round.

Auckland will need to beat Otago and Bay of Plenty tomorrow to keep their hopes alive.