Golf: Krishna keen to tame Aussies

Natasha Krishna, who is making a habit of performing well across the Tasman, should have the chance to take on the Australians again in the Tasman Cup at Titirangi in March.

The 16-year-old from the Auckland Club at Middlemore won the Greg Norman Masters on the Gold Coast, beating a strong field of under-18s.

Last weekend she finished fourth in the Lake Macquarie championship at Belmont in New South Wales, where both the New Zealand and Australian Tasman Cup squads competed.

The tournament was won by Krishna's team-mate, Jenny Park from Otago, who shot a five-under 67 in the final round.

Krishna was six shots back and there were four Kiwis in the top 10.

Krishna, who returns to Saint Kentigern College in Pakuranga next week, will be back in Australia at the end of next month for the Riversdale Cup as a warmup for the Tasman Cup on March 8-9.

New Zealand last won the cup at Christchurch 10 years ago.

They were well beaten at Adelaide two years ago, but with Penny Newbrook and Sarah Nicholson having humbled the Aussies in our strokeplay and matchplay championships last year, hopes are high for Titirangi.

Boosting the status of the New Zealand Open to a $1.5 million event co-sanctioned with the European tour has had a downside for some local professionals.

The Holden New Zealand Open at Gulf Harbour next month does give anyone who qualifies the chance to make real money and gain exposure on the world stage.

But the qualifying, which begins today at four venues, will be tough, with only 10 spots likely to be available in the final field after two stages involving several hundred hopeful professionals and amateurs.

There has been another unfortunate spinoff from the focus on the big event. Greg Turner's plans to incorporate 72-hole professional events in the main men's amateur championships have had to be put on hold for a year.

Phil Aickin from New Zealand Golf says the national body remains fully supportive of the philosophy behind the proposals, which aim to ease the path for top amateurs into the professional ranks and nurture their early days.

But the concentration of effort and resources into the Open had made it unwise to make the changes required this season.

Turner, who has been helping to attract players from the European tour to Gulf Harbour, is philosophical about the delay.

"I didn't want to put pressure on New Zealand Golf because they are under pressure with the realities of staging the Open," he said. "Rather than rush in we've decided to let the combination with the championships slide this year.

"It's frustrating because it's important that we get a circuit up and running. The Taranaki Open went so well last year, with the club and the association making money, that you'd think it would be easy to do the same thing elsewhere but it doesn't work that way."

Mike Leitch, the left-hander from Maungakiekie, has won the Auckland Anniversary tournament at Akarana five times and he will be among the 120 competitors again this weekend.

Leitch first won in 1969 and also triumphed in 1981, 1995, 1997 and 1998.

Last year's winner, Logan Holzer from The Grange, will be defending his title.