Wellington's Thomas Spearman-Burn has the chance to continue his family's success at the North Island amateur golf championship when it tees off in Wellington today.
With twin brother Peter unable to defend his title, Thomas is hoping to step up to claim success in the 72-hole strokeplay tournament at Hutt
Golf Club.
Peter is away with fellow New Zealand representatives Ryan Fox, Andrew Stewart and Ben Campbell competing across the Tasman this week.
Thomas, the 2008 New Zealand Amateur champion, finished second behind his brother at the North Island championship in Muriwai last year and is experienced in the winds around the challenging Hutt Golf Club.
There will be interest in the performance of the 2007 champion Nick Gillespie, who has moved from Hawkes Bay to Wellington this year in an effort to regain the form that won him New Zealand selection 12 months ago.
Gillespie enjoys this event, finishing in a share of third place at Whakatane in 2008, in the event won by Danny Lee.
He shared that placing last year with Auckland's Ben Wallace, who is competing at the Hutt this week after representing New Zealand at the Four Nations, in Canada and in Argentina last year.
Others expected to press claims include international Daniel Pearce (Hastings), New Zealand under-19 champion Duncan Croudis (Otago), Andrew Namkoong (Waitikiri) and Kieran Muir (Omanu), who led Bay of Plenty to victory in last month's Interprovincials. There's some international flavour with the inclusion of Canadian Robin Jakobsen.
- NZPA
