Golf: Auckland, North Harbour, Otago keep record intact at interprovincials

Russell Mitchell, of Maraenui Golf Club, has been around the amateur representative long enough to take a bee-sting swelling in his stride. Photo / File

He got stung on day one — not as you know it — but Russell Mitchell bounced back to claim a victory to help put Hawke's Bay back on track at the New Zealand Interprovincial golf tournament in Hastings today. No 5 Mitchell, who lost in the opening round to Taranaki after collecting a bee sting on Tuesday, overwhelmed Liam Beirne 6&5 at the Hastings Golf Club as the Bay thumped Tasman 4-1 in round five of the annual matchplay men's team competition on day three.

"He had swelled right up on his right finger while he was putting the flag back in a hole and it was still swollen today but he played on and won," said top seed Mako Thompson of the Maraenui Golf Club member after everyone, bar Bridge Pa greenkeeper Jeff Tuoro — shuffling up to No 3 after Adam Winter made way — had registered a win on one round of play this morning and a bye for all in the arvo.

It was the Bay's first win following two halves.

Auckland, North Harbour and Otago were the only teams remaining undefeated in the quest to make the playoffs on Saturday.

RESULTS

Rd 5, day 3:

North Harbour 3.5 Northland 1.5: James Hydes bt Kadin Neho 6&4, Kevin Koong bt Taylor Gill 2up, Kit Bittle halved with Dale Clarke, Sung Jin Yeo bt Brad Bonnington 2&1.

Manawatu/Whanganui 4 Canterbury 1: Tyler Wood bt Matt McLean 2&1, Liam Finlayson bt Reid Hilton 3&2, Trent Munn bt Andrew Green 1up, Tyler Hodge lost to Kazuma Kobori 1down, Regan McConaghty bt Mike Toeke 2&1.

Otago 5 Poverty Bay EC 0: Inia Logan bt Peter Anderson 3&2, Brandon Hodgson bt William Brown 3&2, Jonny Mackay bt Peter Kerekere 1up, Ben Patston bt Hukanui Brown 2up, Sungwoo Han bt Andrew Higham 5&4

Auckland 4 Aorangi 1: Jared Edwards bt Tim Leonard 3&1, Jang Hyun Lee bt Josh Smith 5&4, Johnny Tynan lost to Cameron Grant 1down, Kunaal Singh bt Jeff Hewitt 3&2, Josh Leitch bt Daniel Perham 2&1.

Bay of Plenty 4 Taranaki 1: Mitchell Kale bt Sam Jones 2&1, James Tauariki bt Joseph Doyle 2&1, Matthew Morris lost to Robin Smith 3&1, William Newman bt Damion Powell 3&1, James Golding bt Brook Gray 2&1.

Hawke's Bay 4 Tasman 1: Mako Thompson def Kameran Clarke 4&3, Ben Swinburne bt Nick Ludbrook 4&3, Jeff Tuoro lost to Brook Hale 3&2, Stuart Duff bt Blair Bavin 5&3, Russell Mitchell bt Liam Beirne 6&5.

Wellington 4.5 Southland 0.5: Kerry Mountcastle bt Matt Tautari 6&4, Elton Nicholson bt Liam Hewitt 4&3, Sam Marsters bt Doug Carmichael 3&2, Jayden Ford halved with Josh Kalweit, Andrew Drummond bt Liam Balneaves 2&1.