Golf: An leads as putting lets down Squire

Titirangi's Sam An will take a one shot lead into today's second day of play in the New Zealand strokeplay championship at Bridge Pa after shooting a six under par 66 yesterday. Photo / APN

Hawke's Bay's Richard Squire describes himself as "a weekend golfer" these days.

But the disappointment Onga Onga's Squire was expressing after yesterday's first round in the New Zealand Stroke Play Championship was similar to what he would have on the odd occasion when he was on the European Pro tour a couple of years back. Squire, 34, was the best of the Hawke's Bay starters on day one of the four-day event with a par round of 72, six shots behind the leader, Auckland No1 and former New Zealand Foursomes and former national under-19 champion Sam An.

"I'm a bit gutted to be six behind at the moment. I started well but didn't finish off ... I didn't birdie any of the par fives," Squire explained.

While it may have been Squire's fourth game of the year he expected more of himself in perfect conditions and on a course he knows so well.

"Yes I was the apprentice greenkeeper out here for a while so I know the course pretty well. I've played under-23 nationals here and I was also a member here for a while ... after everything felt good after the first four holes I left too many putts out there," Squire said.

A barman at the Duke of Gloucester in Taradale, Squire, intends to make the most of his early 9am tee off today.

"I have to if I'm going to close the gap on Sam. He will improve on what he shot today and I have to if we're going to have a Bay player giving the locals something to cheer on come Sunday."

Squire admitted to feeling a bit of extra pressure to produce something for the Bay supporters. Host club player Stuart Duff was the next best of the Bay starters with a 75.

Four players, Takaka's Blair Riordan, Manukau's Tae Koh, North Shore's Jason Gulasekharam and Te Awamutu's Compton Pikari, were tied for second one shot behind 20-year-old An.

Two-time New Zealand Maori champion and HBPB No1 Kate Chadwick was the best of the Hawke's Bay women with a 78, nine shots behind joint leaders Haruka Morita of Japan and Titirangi's Mum Chin Keh. Like Squire, Napier's Chadwick, would have expected to be better placed going into today's play on a course she won the first of her New Zealand Maori titles on in 2010.

The next best of the Bay women was Maraenui's Jaimie McIvor.