Golf: Northern teams to fight it out for provincial title

The power base of New Zealand's women's golf is firmly entrenched in the top of the North Island judging by results from this week's national women's interprovincial teams championships in Palmerston North.

Today's semifinalists were confirmed after the final round of section play at the Hokowhitu course yesterday, with Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley set to meet Auckland, and North Harbour against Waikato-King Country.

All four teams have been either at the top, or close to it, in recent national championships, with Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley the only team not to have won the title since the semifinals-finals format was introduced in 1999.

North Harbour, the second qualifiers in section one, are trying to become the first province to win three consecutive national crowns since Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley achieved that in the early 1980s.


Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley and North Harbour were clearly superior to all opposition in section one and between them they won 51 1/2 individual games from a possible 60.


Waikato-King Country needed to beat Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay in yesterday's final round to confirm their top placing in section two, and they came through 4-1.

Canterbury led Auckland 4-1 after three holes, but were behind in all five matches at the turn and were white-washed.

In section two, Wellington extinguished Northland's flickering hopes by rallying on the homeward half for a 3-2 victory.

Taranaki clinched third placing in section one by beating Otago 3-2.

Neither North Harbour nor Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley dropped a game in beating Southland and South Canterbury, respectively.

Semifinalists

Bay of Plenty-Thames Valley v Auckland

North Harbour v Waikato-King Country


- NZPA