Golf: Europe has experience to take on the world's top amateurs

Experience may be the key for Europe when they take on the best amateurs from Asia Pacific in the Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy starting in Auckland today.

There are 18 nationalities making up the 24 players to contest the fifth biennial contest in the three-day Ryder Cup-style tournament at Auckland Golf Club.

It features some of the world's best amateurs with the current national amateur champions of 14 countries competing in the team matchplay contest.

Europe has an advantage in experience at this type of competition with key players Gary Wolstenholme (England) and Nigel Edwards (Wales).

They are almost freakish in the era of amateur teenage talent with Wolstenholme 46 and Edwards 37. Both have a wealth of experience in major team matchplay events like the Walker Cup against the United States and the St Andrews Trophy against Europe.

Wolstenholme is arguably the world's best known amateur, having won the amateur championships of seven countries, scored the most Walker Cup points (bypassing Sir Michael Bonallack) and is playing his fourth Bonallack Trophy.

The man best known for his victory over Tiger Woods in the 1995 Walker Cup still loves to compete against the stars of tomorrow.

"That's what is exciting about coming here to New Zealand to play ... I can compete still against some of the best young amateurs. There are players like Oliver Fisher, Pedro Oriol and Won Joon Lee and some others I have not seen that will go on to become great players," Wolstenholme said.

The Englishman believes that experience may prove a key factor this week.

"We play a lot of this type of competition. And with Nigel and myself, Europe have players with a lot of experience. At the end of the day, though, it is about the score you make and about playing the golf course."

He believes the rain-drenched Middlemore course may favour the bigger hitters although he is predicting an exciting contest.

"There are going to be a lot of birdies made out here. For that reason alone it is going to make for some exciting play for spectators and an exciting challenge for the players."

The Europe contingent includes Edwards, the current South African champion, Fisher the youngest ever Walker Cup player, Dutchman Joost Luiten the current Spanish and German champion, Irish champion Rory McIlroy, Italian champion Pedro Oriol, Swiss winner Damian Ulrich and current European Amateur winner Marius Thorp (Norway).

Wellington's Roger Brennand, the man who captained New Zealand to their 1992 Eisenhower Trophy win, is leading the Asian Pacific team. He has a more difficult job moulding players from different cultures and languages and will no doubt look to Australasians Josh Geary, Mark Purser, Andrew Dodt and Won Joon Lee for their knowledge of Kiwi conditions.

Their younger combination - Purser is the oldest at 21 years - includes two exciting 16-year-olds in Mu Hu from China and Anujit Hirunratanakorn and 17-year-old Ajeetesh Sandhu (India).

There will be five matches of fourball in the morning and foursomes in the afternoon today and tomorrow and 12 matches of singles on Friday with play starting at 8am each day.