Northland women golfers will be spectators at today's Lion Foundation Interprovincial final after falling short in their bid to reach this morning's semifinals at the Napier Golf Club.
The team failed to live up to their own expectations of improving on last year's fifth place at the annual event.
Today, instead, they
will play Southland in the match for seventh and eighth place but, as their selector Kerry Pevy pointed out, the team did manage some some good golf in trying conditions this week.
"The wind has been horrific for most of the week, it turned nice on Thursday but then it came back again yesterday and it was dreadful for golf," she said.
The wind may have certainly helped Manawatu-Wanganui become the surprise package of the Northland's side of the draw. They upset Auckland 3-2 on Wednesday morning and then beat Northland by the same score in the afternoon to set up their semifinal place against Hawke's Bay.
"They've played very well to get where they are and have a very steady team this year," Pevy said.
Home advantage may have helped the other surprise semifinalists - Hawke's Bay - to qualify after they toppled previous leaders Waikato yesterday. They will take on the defending champions and tournament favourites Bay of Plenty this morning.
The Northland team will have to wait for another year to make the semifinals but at least completed their pool play with a satisfying 4-1 victory over Tasman yesterday in their final pool game.
Northland No.3 Sunny Nam Koong was again the province's most consistent player.
"She's been doing very nicely this week and has been our little star again - she's only had one loss," Pevy said.
Another highlight was when Northland No.1 Caroline Bon comfortably defeated Bay of Plenty's top player and New Zealand international Penny Smith 4 and 3 on Thursday - the team's only win in the 1-4 defeat.
