Domestic powerhouse Bay of Plenty will blood a team of newcomers for the national interprovincial teams golf championship in Palmerston North this week.
Five times winners of the provincial crown in the last seven years, Bay of Plenty's five players boast only one interprovincial cap between them for the tournament
starting tomorrow at Manawatu Golf Club - Tauranga's Ben Taylor, who debuted last year in Nelson, is back.
Fifteen provincial teams will contest the 59th interprovincial championship, a team matchplay contest with round robin play in two divisions, culminating in semifinals and final on Saturday.
Bay of Plenty had to wait 50 years to have their name etched on the trophy, but from that point they have dominated the competition, winning three in a row from 2002, then being semifinalists in 2005, beaten finalists to Waikato in 2006 before back-to-back victories in 2007 and 2008.
Those years have produced some outstanding players, led by Danny Lee, who has since advanced to the professional ranks along with the likes of Josh Geary, Mark Smith, Eddie Burgess, Jason McIntosh, Jared Pender and Troy Ropiha.
Bay of Plenty chief executive Chris McAlpine said his association was buoyed by the challenge of blooding a new, young team in Palmerston North.
"For us it's great to know that we have had players come through our development programme, enjoy success with Bay of Plenty and now have moved up and into the professional ranks," McAlpine said.
"Now we have a very inexperienced combination which is exciting for a different way. They will carry the mantle for the next few years."
- NZPA
