McDonald faces her toughest assignment

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

GOLF

GISBORNE’S Tessa McDonald teed off this morning in the toughest assignment of her representative career.

McDonald is playing No.1 for Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay at the women’s national interprovincial golf tournament on Christchurch’s Waitikiri course.

She began her week against Northland’s Shardae Bulkeley in a HBPB team who nearly did not happen.

HBPB were struggling to put together a side for the week-long matchplay tournament, but they are in Christchurch with the full complement, including a reserve.

The team are (in playing order) McDonald, Janie Field, Haena Seol, Samantha Carroll, Fiona Ellis and Rahiri Ellison.

Following this morning’s Northland tie, they were to face Tasman in the afternoon, Auckland and North Harbour tomorrow, Aorangi on Thursday and Otago on Friday.

Tomorrow’s assignment is particularly tough. The Aucklanders, with an average age of 13.8, are defending champions and are vying for a sixth national interprovincial crown in seven years.

McDonald faces the highly accomplished Carmen Lim, then later in the week will go to the other end of the experience spectrum when she comes up against former professional Catherine Knight.

HBPB finished fifth in their section last year, missing out on the semifinals.