Golf: Field welcomes soggy stage

Hawke's Bay golfer Janie Field opted for the supermarket rather than the fairways as heavy rain continued to soak the province.

But don't expect the rain to force the Hawke's Bay Masters and Hawke's Bay/Poverty Bay Toro inter-provincials representative to withdraw from the inaugural New Zealand Amateur Strokeplay Championship for men and women which was to begin at the Hastings Club's Bridge Pa course today and continuing until Sunday.

"I won't mind this rain at all. It will slow everything down and make it an attacking course for everyone," Field explained.

"Obviously the rough will be longer but spectators will see more attacking golf," she said.

The Napier club member, who plays off a one handicap, will tackle the New Zealand Amateur Foursomes in Manawatu next week with Australian Sue Wood, of Darwin.

Wood has joined the Napier club and Field said they were seeking polished rehearsals before travelling west.

"I consider it a privilege and an honour to have this week's tournament in our district and I can't think of a better course than Bridge Pa to host it. If I had to travel away to play in it I probably wouldn't have gone," Field, who has played in six national strokeplay tournaments in the past, added.

Field's HBPB teammates, clubmate Kate Chadwick and Otane's Angela Jones, are tipped to do the best of the Bay women this week. Chadwick won her second New Zealand Maori title back in January and Jones, who is a member of the Hastings and Waipawa clubs, carded her best finish in a top tier tournament at the weekend when she finished eighth at the Lochiel-hosted North Island Strokeplay Championship.

The winner of this event, Lochiel's Emily Perry, is among the women's favourites this week. Perry won the North Island title by six shots.

North Harbour's world amateur champion Lydia Ko, 14, is another expected to attract sizeable galleries if the weather improves.

Former Hastings player Daniel Pearce, who won the men's North Island Strokeplay Championship at Lochiel at the weekend, is keen to make a further statement in his quest to play at this year's Eisenhower in Turkey. The Melbourne-based player is planning to turn professional at the end of the year.

Other Kiwis returning from Australia for this week's event who are among the favourites include Ben Campbell, Vaughan McCall and Mathew Perry.

The 147 players in the tournament will play one round each day.

The hosting of this week's tournament is a feature of the Hastings club's 100 years at Bridge Pa celebrations. Another feature will be Saturday night's Watties-sponsored Black Tie Dinner at the Hawke's Bay Opera House in Hastings.