Golf: World champ title is ours - and we aim to keep it

By JO-MARIE BROWN

The World Schools Championship golf trophy arrived back on New Zealand soil yesterday, proudly carried by three boys who are already planning to bring it home again next year.

Sam Hunt, Mathew Holten and Bradley Iles received a hero's welcome at Auckland Airport, having taken on some of the world's best young golfers in England last week and won the 16-country tournament for the second year running.

Sam Hunt, who also won back-to-back individual tournament titles, said tougher competition and greater pressure to perform made this year's win more satisfying.

"It was probably a relief to win it again because everybody's been talking about it back home," he said.

The trophy would now resume pride of place in the principal's office at Rotorua Boys' High School but Sam Hunt was already looking ahead to next year's tournament.

"A school in France won it five years in a row so we'll have to try and top that," he said.

While seventh-former Mathew Holten would not be eligible next year, Rotorua Boys' High golf master Ian Woon said the school had plenty of talented players.

"We certainly won't be weakened in a year's time.

"If we were able to get through it would be a formidable team."

To qualify again, Rotorua Boys' High must win the national schools tournament later this year, with the team's first elimination match looming this Friday.

"Winning the nationals is a big ask but we've certainly got the team to do it," Mr Woon said.

New Zealand Golf Association executive board member Peter Ellis said he hoped the win would inspire young people to take up the sport.

"We're very proud of these boys and looking forward to great things from them in the future."

While the trio enjoyed the support of their schoolmates, Sam Hunt said they did not feel like role models for younger golfers.

"We're still junior ourselves really. We've still got a lot of work to do."

Away from the golf course, the team also have a lot of schoolwork to catch up on before heading to Japan next month to represent New Zealand in the world under-19 championships.