New Zealand will field a new-look team for the sixth biennial Southern Cross Cup men's amateur matchplay golf competition at the Wairakei International course near Taupo starting today.
With the departure of Danny Lee, 18, to the professional ranks, the New Zealand team is made up of Ryan Fox (Auckland),
Daniel Pearce (Hastings) and Wellington's Peter and Thomas Spearman-Burn.
Leighton James, Andrew Searle, Kevin Smith and Jared Pender represented New Zealand at the last competition in 2007 hosted and won by Argentina.
Australia and South Africa are the other two teams at Wairakei joining the battle for Southern Hemisphere amateur golf bragging rights.
Fox, 22, was a semifinalist in the recent Australian Amateur Championship and is the current Order of Merit leader, while Pearce, formerly from Canterbury, is a golfer who has impressed this season.
The Spearman-Burn twins, 19, have been in outstanding form in recent weeks.
Peter Spearman-Burn won both the South Island and North Island amateur championships in the last three weeks, only the fourth player to achieve the double.
Thomas Spearman-Burn, making his debut in a national senior elite team, is the current New Zealand Amateur champion, a title he will defend in Auckland starting next week.
New Zealand won the Southern Cross Cup in South Africa in 2003 and were runners-up when the tournament was last staged in New Zealand, in 2001 at Wairakei.
Australia has been the most successful country, winning three of the five contests.
Australia have a solid combination led by current national amateur champion Scott Arnold, 23.
Argentina have brought current US Junior Amateur medallist Jorge Valdes, an exciting 16-year-old from Cordoba, and the current Argentina strokeplay champion, Leandro Marelli, 18.
"I know the guys are all looking forward to playing Wairakei which will be a true test and hopefully will be able to take advantage of local knowledge since they have all played there a number of times," New Zealand Golf high performance manager Simon Poll said.
The competition is decided on matchplay with two foursomes matches in the morning and four singles in the afternoon.
DRAW
Today: Argentina v New Zealand, South Africa v Australia.
Tomorrow: New Zealand v South Africa, Australia v Argentina.
Saturday: New Zealand v Australia, South Africa v Argentina.
TEAMS
New Zealand: Ryan Fox (Auckland), Daniel Pearce (Hastings), Peter Spearman-Burn (Miramar), Thomas Spearman-Burn (Miramar).
South Africa: Nicol van Wyk (Durbanville), Adrian Ford (Durbanville), Dean O'Riley (Lake Club Benoni), Steven Ferreira (Reading GC).
Argentina: Jorge Valdes (Cordoba), Leandro Marelli (Casilda), Ary Rodriguex (Las Mulitas), Nicolas Ciccola (Lakes Miramar).
Australia: Matt Jager (Melville Glades), Scott Arnold (NSW), Brendan Smith (Pymble), Ryan McCarthy (Seabrook).
- NZPA
New Zealand will field a new-look team for the sixth biennial Southern Cross Cup men's amateur matchplay golf competition at the Wairakei International course near Taupo starting today.
With the departure of Danny Lee, 18, to the professional ranks, the New Zealand team is made up of Ryan Fox (Auckland),
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