Golf: Auckland officials backing Tongue to stay on

Mal Tongue received some heavyweight support yesterday as his standoff with New Zealand Golf Association chief executive Peter Dale continued.

The national director of coaching, who resigned on Wednesday with his five assistant coaches, was backed by influential Auckland administrators Peter Seagar and Terry Pulman.

With more than 10,000 members, the Auckland Golf Association (AGA) is the largest district association in the country, and views with growing concern the continuing fallout of the dispute between between Tongue and Dale.

Tongue handed in his resignation plus those of his five assistants - Bob McDonald of Auckland, Shane Scott of Christchurch, Simon Thomas of Dunedin, Murray Macklin of Wellington, and Brian Boys of Hamilton - in a move that plunged the NZGA into crisis.

Tongue said he had decided to cut ties with the NZGA because he believed he had lost Dale's confidence.

Tongue said that during a meeting on February 12 Dale told him he had no "vision or strategy" for New Zealand golf.

The final straw came less than a week later when he received information that convinced him he no longer had Dale's support.

Dale said on Wednesday after receiving the resignations that "Mal has been told by someone that we were going to sack him. That's absolutely not true."

Dale apologised if he had unintentionally offended Tongue and hoped mediation would resolve the issue.

Two days ago Dale brought in Sport and Recreation New Zealand high-performance unit adviser Don Tricker, who is also the New Zealand men's softball coach, to act in a mediating role. But yesterday there was still no sign of a resolution.

Tricker arranged to meet the six coaches as a group in Wellington next Tuesday, after Tongue declined an offer to meet Dale.

NZGA board chairman John Patterson issued a statement saying the association believed the situation could be resolved.

Patterson hoped Tricker's involvement would lead to a "speedy and positive outcome".

"Mal is a world-class coach and we want him to continue in our team. And the board wants this matter resolved as soon as possible for the good of the game.

"After Don Tricker's meeting with the coaches next week, both myself and Peter Dale will be available at a moment's notice to hear and resolve those issues first-hand."

Seagar, the AGA's executive director, did not think the board had been active enough in pushing the two parties towards resolution.

"I think the board should have been seen to be more active in helping resolve the matter," he said.

Seagar said the only communication the 17 district associations had received about the affair was an email from Dale on Wednesday informing them of the resignations.

For Seagar and Pulman, the events unfolding in Wellington were thoroughly unwelcome, but they lent Tongue moral support.

Seagar, whose organisation contracts McDonald as its coach, said the affair was not a "good look for the game".

He said the AGA was an enthusiastic supporter of Tongue when he was first contracted to the NZGA in 1994 as its technical director.

Tongue's role has since evolved and he has been the national director of coaching since 1998.

Seagar said nothing had occurred to make the AGA change its mind.

"We think he's a very, very good coach. He has a lot of experience and knowledge to impart on the young players coming through and those he is bringing through."

Pulman, the AGA vice-president and manager of the New Zealand senior amateur team, said Tongue was a superb coach.

"I've been away with Mal to tournaments in Australia and Malaysia, and he's been very, very good," Pulman said. "He's got everyone's wellbeing at heart, especially the players."

- NZPA