Anendra Singh
Hastings Golf Club member Blair Shaw yesterday made the last 32 cut to qualify for today's New Zealand Amateur Matchplay competition in Christchurch.
The former Hawke's Bay representative carded a par 73 at the conclusion of the New Zealand Amateur Strokeplay Championship at the Coringa Country Club course. Shaw finished
in 12th equal place with a total of 298 after four rounds.
Won Joon Lee kept the Kiwi title in Australian hands for a fourth successive year when he romped to a six-shot victory, with a 14-under 278 after four sub-par rounds.
The power-hitting New South Welshman, who made a habit of driving some of the par-4 holes, started yesterday's final round five shots ahead of Hamilton's James Gill at 12-under par.
However, Shaw, 21, playing under the Hutt Golf Club banner for a fortnight since shifting to Wellington, today lined up against equal second-placed Gill at 8am in matchplay.
"I'll need to beat James Gill to remain in the knockout section or end up playing in the plate section round in the afternoon. If I lose again then I'm history," Shaw said.
The 32 players will hit 36 holes today and tomorrow, but only two of them will be left standing for a 36-hole final on Sunday.
The news was not so good for Hawke's Bay Golf Club's Darryn Turley, who had last night booked his flight with clubmate and fellow Bay representative Grant Hall to jet back home today.
Turley, of Sharpies Driving Range, lamented the lack of quality tee shots in carding 303 after four rounds, thus missing the cut by four strokes.
"It was a longish course and my driving wasn't good but my putting and iron shots were," Turley said last night.
Hall, who missed the cut like Maraenui Golf Club's Scott Ryan after two rounds, caddied for Turley.
The bespectacled Hastings District Council employee stole the limelight in the first round on Monday when he scored a hole in one on the par 3 13th with a six iron.
"He didn't see it go in so he went looking for it behind the green. It's his third hole in one so he's getting a bit greedy. He made a point of reminding me of that," Turley claimed with a laugh, saying they had celebrated with a few beers.
The Bay trio will play in the first round of the division one Hawke's Bay Pennants Championship starting on Sunday at Takapau.
Turley and Hall's Hawke's Bay club are the defending champions.
