Ready to take on NZ’s finest

FLYING THE GISBORNE GOLF FLAG: Tessa McDonald is at No.2 in the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty team for the women’s national interprovincial in Northland. The rest of the team are Hawke’s Bay players. The tournament starts on Monday. Picture by Liam Clayton

GISBORNE’S top woman golfer is out to add to an impressive history at the national interprovincial tournament, which starts on Monday.

Tessa McDonald is at No.2 in the five-strong Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay team for the week-long matchplay event on the Sherwood Park course near Whangarei.

Poverty Bay member McDonald is competing in her sixth national interprovincial.

She debuted in 2011, playing three matches and winning two.

Since then, McDonald has consistently produced victories for her side at this particular tournament, highlighted in 2013 when she six out of seven matches and played a leading role in HBPB making the semifinals.

Last year she had four wins at No.2 in the side as HBPB finished sixth — losing to North Harbour in a playoff for fifth.

The 2017 HBPB side are Jaimie McIvor (of the Maraenui club), McDonald, Lauree Southerden (Napier), Janie Field (Nap), Sara Team (Puketitir) and Nicole Aluni (reserve, Nap).

They start the tournament against Otago on Monday morning, followed by Waikato, Tasman. Canterbury, Bay of Plenty and Southland.

Auckland are the defending champions, having won the title seven of the past nine years.

The men’s national interprovincial is also being held next week, starting on Tuesday at Northland’s Mangawhai course.

Preview in Monday’s Herald.