Golf: Newbrook finds top form before defence

Penny Newbrook, who led Bay of Plenty to victory in the women's interprovincial tournament last year at Palmerston North, shot a seven-under 64 in her club championships at the weekend to confirm her good form for this year's interprovincial at Ngaruawahia next week.

The 22-year-old from Rotorua won a tough match with Auckland's Natasha Krishna on the last green at the Manawatu Golf Club last year to steer her team into the final, where they beat Waikato 4-1.

The Bay went on to complete a remarkable double with their men's team continuing their winning run in the interprovincial at Napier.

The Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley team will have two changes this time, with Tammy Clelland and Mikayla Bell replaced by Zoe-Beth Brake and Kate Hodgson.

Newbrook, who is playing this week in the Taranaki Open at New Plymouth, is looking forward to the Bay defending the title at Ngaruawahia.

"I like the course and the greens are always good and quick," she said. "I've played there quite a lot and I won a strokeplay tournament there this year.

"The team lost a fixture against Auckland but we won the annual quadrangular with Wellington, Taranaki and Waikato. I think Waikato will be strong again and also Auckland and North Harbour."

Waikato were well beaten in the final last year after beating North Harbour in the semifinals in a nail-biting encounter.

After 18 holes North Harbour and Waikato/King Country finished square after the No 2s, Stephanie Slavich and Sharon Ahn, halved their match.

Ahn was two up with two to play, but bogeyed the 17th, and double-bogeyed the 18th to lose both.

On the first extra hole Ahn missed a small putt for another bogey, and Slavich safely made her par to win the hole and the match at the 19th to put Waikato/King Country into the final.

Slavich will play No 3 this year behind Sarah McDonald and Sarah Bradley. McDonald learned the game at Ngaruawahia and No 4, Robin Pellow, still plays there.

Auckland have caused some controversy by leaving out New Zealand representative Krishna because she didn't meet the selectors' trialling requirements. The very young team, with an average age of 14, still have plenty of talent and experience.

At the top of the order Pakuranga clubmates Da Som Lee and Younsun Kim recently fought out the final of the Waikato matchplay after accounting for several of those they will play next week.

Da Som Lee beat Auckland No 3 Jane Lee to win the Auckland matchplay title a couple of weeks later.

National champion Sharon Ahn will lead the North Harbour team ahead of Mi Kyung Kim. Both move up a place with the loss of Bobea Park.

New Zealand representative Sarah Nicholson heads a Wellington team of relative unknowns while Hawkes Bay can boast the most experienced player, Ingrid Van Steenbergen, who was playing at this level before many of the players were born.

The draw has Auckland and Bay of Plenty in one section and North Harbour and Waikato in the other. Play begins on Tuesday with the semifinals and final on Saturday.

Former Bay of Plenty golfer Tammy Clelland was the star as her American university team, Toledo, won the Fall Classic at the par-72 Heather Downs club.

Clelland set a school record for the second straight day by posting the lowest 54-hole stroke total with a two-under par 214 (77-68-69) en route to winning the individual honours. She also set a University of Toledo 18-hole record with her four-under par 68 in the second round.

Fellow New Zealander Natalie Storck, who also attends Toledo University, came in 7th with scores of 81-74-73 for a total of 228.