Off the tee: Women's event put on hold

Women's Golf New Zealand has put plans on hold for next year's inaugural New Zealand Open.

The tournament promoter, Australian Bob Tuohy, has been unable to arrange sufficient sponsorship.

Alison Edwards, chairman of Women's Golf, said her organisation was still keen to pursue the idea.

"We think it is the way to go," she said. "I had the chance to see the ANZ Women's Masters in Queensland, which Bob Tuohy promotes, and it was enormously impressive with huge galleries and the biggest television audience for an Australian golf event.

"While we received a high level of interest and support for the concept of a New Zealand Open, the present New Zealand economic environment has meant that the necessary level of sponsorship has not been achieved by the deadline we had set for the proposed February date."

But she said Women's Golf NZ was committed to the event.

The $5 a head levy, which had been proposed to help support an Open, will not now be imposed.

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When Craig (the Walrus) Stadler won the BC Open on the United States PGA Tour this week, he sent a message to those approaching the Big 5-0.

Stadler, who turned 50 in June, had missed a series of cuts this year. But he celebrated his new senior status by winning the US Seniors Players Championship and eight days later carrying off the US$540,000 ($938,000) first prize from the young blokes in the BC Open.

"Golf is a fickle game," he said. "Strange things certainly happen. I was just kind of waiting until I turned 50 to see what would occur and all of a sudden I learned how to play again.

"It's the magical number. Get a good bottle of wine, turn 50 and you start playing well."

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Former New Zealand representative Mike Barltrop will defend his title when Auckland masters' championships are played at Akarana on Sunday.

The Auckland Club player will be in a field of 72 playing 36 holes. Among the previous champions are former national hockey representative Arthur Parkin (Maungakiekie) and Fred Watts, who has moved to Waiuku after the closure of the Papakura Camp club.

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A full field of 96 players will contest the Waikato winter strokeplay at the Lochiel Club in Hamilton at the weekend.

The event has drawn some of New Zealand's top amateurs, including defending champion Bradley Iles from Wellington.

Next Thursday the Waikato Association will hold its awards dinner at the Glenview International Hotel at 7pm.

Among the top awards is the Phil Tataurangi Trophy for the Waikato Golfer of the Year.

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North Harbour men beat Northland in all three categories of their representative fixture at Helensville and Gulf Harbour.

But Harbour had a tough fight to win the senior division 13 1/2-11 1/2 after Northland had led 6-4 at Helensville. Harbour won the under-19 event 7-3 and the under-23, 7 1/2 -2 1/2.

Former New Zealand cricketer Alex Tait had a successful event for Northland, winning both his singles at the top of the order.

Other double winners in the senior ranks were Ben Jujnovich (Harbour) and Michael Perrin (Northland).