The Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay women's golf team were elated as their minivan travelled over the Taupo-Napier Road last night.
"We're absolutely delighted ... we left home as the 11th seeds and we're returning as the third best team in the country," No5 Kathy Olsen said on the side's national women's interprovincial tournament which ended at Auckland's Muriwai club on Saturday.
Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay were beaten 4.5-0.5 by eventual winners Auckland in their semifinal. This was the HBPB side's best finish since their second placing at the Napier Golf Club-hosted nationals in 2007.
Just one member of that 2007 team, Jaimie McIvor, was in the 2013 version. It may be a tough ask for HBPB to improve on this third placing next year.
Gisborne's Tessa McDonald, this year's No4, is likely to be moving to Waikato next year for tertiary study commitments and No3 Angela Jones may also be unavailable next year.
Jones collected the team's half against Auckland when she took on Joanna Kim.
With their 5-0 win against Bay of Plenty in Saturday afternoon's final Auckland completed one of the most dominant performances seen in the event's history.
The defending champions won the title for the third time in succession and extended their record number of wins in the event to 22 since the team's matchplay competition began back in 1950. They became the first team to win three in a row in 30 years since Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley who completed the feat in 1981-1983.
Auckland finished the week with a perfect record of eight from eight matches and an incredible 36.5 points from the 40 points on offer. It is believed to be an unprecedented winning record.
Two members of the Auckland team, No2 Wenyung Keh and No5 Brittney Dryland, were unbeaten during the five days of play.
Kaye Carroll, the manager of the Auckland team for the past 10 years, said the performance of her girls was a special effort as they totally outclassed every team they played.
"I had a machine team," Carroll said. "For them to go through and lose only three games for five days is just amazing. It has to be the best record ever in this tournament."
Carroll, who is bowing out as the Auckland manager after a decade of service, said there were a few factors that made her side so dominant.
"Being able to come out here and practice a few times as a team, practice shots in the wind and bunkers and so on was good and we bonded so well.
"This is the most special of all my wins with an Auckland team. This is my swansong. I have been doing this for 10 years and with Auckland winning three in a row I feel like it is time for some fresh blood in the camp. Going out on this moment feels pretty special. I am rapt."