Golf: HB women break salver drought

VICTORIOUS BAY: The Hawke's Bay women's golf team which was unbeaten at the weekend. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Four Hawke's Bay women's team golfers were unbeaten as the side won the Sybil Green Salver for the first time since 2008 in Levin last weekend.

Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Taranaki and Manawatu-Wanganui have competed for the salver in the quadrangular tournament since 1985 and No 2 Tessa McDonald of Poverty Bay's Gisborne Park club, No 3 Sara Deams of Napier, No 4 Jaimie McIvor of Maraenui and captain and No 5 Janie Field of Napier were unbeaten as the Bay captured the salver in atrocious weather conditions.

"Levin had 15cm of rain during the week before the tournament so there were puddles everywhere. Our two newcomers learnt very quickly what it was like playing all weekend in wet, windy conditions," Field said referring to sisters Nicole and Nywrian Alunni.

The Napier clubmates have been in Hawke's Bay for three years after moving from Samoa. This tournament was their senior representative debuts for the Bay and they played for the Hawke's Bay junior rep team last year.

They both recorded a win each. On Saturday Hawke's Bay beat Wellington 5 1/2-2 1/2 and Taranaki 6-2. On Sunday Hawke's Bay beat Manawatu-Wanganui by the same margin they beat Wellington in the matchplay event which caters for eight-person teams.

With long-serving Hawke's Bay No 1 Kate Chadwick of the Napier club working as a nurse in Australia, Angela Jones of the Hastings club was promoted to the No 1 spot. Jones has been playing for the Bay since 2009 and earlier this year returned home after a two-year stint working as a nurse in Auckland.

She handled her promotion admirably and recorded two wins. Her clubmate Martha Manaena, who has played for the Bay since 2010, also recorded two wins.

Field, who has played for the Bay since 2002, recently returned from a two-year stint playing overseas. Qualified accountant McIvor made her Hawke's Bay senior debut in 2007, EIT sports management course student Deams has played for the Bay since 2011 and early childhood course student McDonald has played for the Bay since 2009.

Field and Maraenui stalwart Kathy Olsen, who was unable to play because of injury, selected the team which was managed by Sue Sowerby. Hawke's Bay's next outing will be the Judy Pearson Trophy fixture against Manawatu-Wanganui at the Manawatu club in Palmerston North on October 29 and 30.

After this trip the six-player Hawke's Bay team for the December national inter-provincials at the Westtown club in New Plymouth will be named.