Bay captain Ben Swinburne scored his first win. PHOTO/FILE
THE GOLFERS went with the goal of winning three games but are returning home today with two.
"We're moderately happy," David Howie, the manager of the Hawke's Bay senior men's golf team said from Hamilton last night, after they beat neighbours Poverty Bay East Coast 3.5-1.5 in the final round of round-robin play in division one.
"We've finished in 12th place overall, one better than last year," Howie said of the Ben Swinburne-captained side at the annual Toro New Zealand Men's Interprovincial tournament at Hamilton Golf Club.
Manawatu-Wanganui, Wellington, Waikato and Otago will today compete for the country's premier team matchplay title, amid twists and turns that saw traditional powerhouses Auckland and Bay of Plenty miss the cut.
Waikato will be in their first final since 2006 if they beat Wellington in semifinal one, while defending champions Manawatu-Wanganui face Otago in semifinal two after seven rounds of play involving 15 teams from around the country's golfing regions.
Top seed Russell Mitchell beat Andrew Higham 1 up, while Swinburne, after stepping down the day before, overcame William Brown 3 and 2, for his first victory of this year's tourney.
No3 Carlos Tawera overwhelmed Peter Kerekere 4 and 3, while Joshua Dasent halved with Nathaniel Cassidy. No5 Steven Harris lost to Edward Brown Jr 2 and 1.
"We were looking comfortable in the win against Poverty Bay but at the turn we went backwards, but the boys hardened up to get us the win," Howie said.
The team also achieved their other goal of exposing youngsters to an elite level of competition in preparation for next year's tourney.
Manawatu-Wanganui stamped their supremacy and favouritism as the first side to qualify for the playoffs, with a don't-argue 4.5-0.5 victory over the Aucklanders to keep intact their unblemished record at the tourney this year.
The golfers from Turbo country, seeking back-to-back silverware for the first time since 1954-55, were the top qualifiers in division one when they clawed their way back to halve with Wellington (2.5-2.5).
It was knife-edge stuff because seven teams headed into the final round with a sniff of securing the three remaining playoff berths.
Division two top qualifiers Waikato eclipsed Canterbury 3.5-1.5 to tee off in the final four today for the first time in more than five years, feeding off the parochial home-crowd support.
Otago didn't let Bay of Plenty's reputation daunt them, with 3.5-1.5 to progress to the play-offs.
The boys from the capital city, the most successful team in the tourney's history, got through by the skin of their teeth in halving their match against Manawatu/Wanganui.
Northland's Kadin Neho missed a birdie to halve with Tae Koh and, with the 3 and 2 loss to Auckland, went their hopes of leapfrogging Wellington in division one.
-The Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay women's team will begin their campaign at the Riverside Golf Club from Tuesday next week.
The Sue Sowerby-managed HBPB side have nurse Kate Chadwick as their top seed in a predominantly youthful team, with veteran Kathy Olsen coming in at No4.
Rivals in their division will be looking at HBPB from the corner of their eyes after they showed steely resolve last year, to advance to the semifinals at the expense of the Wellingtonians. The other players (in playing order) are Chadwick's longtime friend, Jamie McIvor, Lucy Owen, Sara Deam and reserve Tessa McDonald.
Defending champions Auckland will step on to the tee-off mound of the Lochiel course as the favourites, after claiming three consecutive crowns.
As the only team to ever win four titles in a row, the women from the Big Smoke will be itching to emulate that feat.
The Blue and Whites became the first team to win three in a row in 30 years since Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley, who completed the feat in 1981-83.
Last year's finalists BOP, Wellington and hosts Waikato are the other leading title contenders.
The last time the course hosted the country's women elite teams' matchplay event was in 1978.
Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay team: 1 Kate Chadwick, 2 Jaimie McIvor, 3 Lucy Owen, 4 Kathy Olsen, 5 Sara Deam.
Reserve: Tessa McDonald. Manager: Sue Sowerby.