Golf: Southerners chase title

By BOB PEARCE

Two little-known South Islanders stand in the way of a ninth Australian victory in the last 18 years in the New Zealand amateur golf championship.

In the 36-hole semifinals at Mt Maunganui today, Ben Gallie from Dunedin will play Queenslander Andrew Duffin and Matthew Peter from Rangiora will play another Queenslander, Steven Bowditch.

If previous accomplishments were the only guide, an all-Australian final would be a certainty.

The 23-year-old Duffin won this title at Remuera in 1999. Bowditch, 17, won the Australian amateur strokeplay this year and was seventh in the Australian Open.

In contrast, the 22-year-old Gallie had never before progressed beyond the first round and 19-year-old Peter did not qualify for the championship in his only previous bid.

But Gallie eliminated the form player, Sam Hunt from Rotorua, 3 and 2 yesterday in the quarter-finals and he played solidly to be two under the card when the match finished.

Hunt had beaten New Zealand No 1 Gareth Paddison 2 and 1 in the morning, but he was a little off his game in the afternoon.

The burly Gallie has played 11 72-hole tournaments this year and won the Otago strokeplay championship and the Dunedin City Classic. In the national strokeplay he fired four rounds under par.

"I never thought I was good enough before," he said. "I've been practising more since last June and I'm way mentally sharper."

Peter is known as a masterly putter, a quality well-rewarded at the short Mt Maunganui course.

He was three under beating George Kinghorn 3 and 2 in the quarter-finals after not losing a hole until the 15th.

Duffin, who still holds NZ citizenship because he was born in Auckland, reckoned he was not playing as well as he was when he won at Remuera.

However, he grew in confidence as he beat Richard Squire (Onga Onga) 5 and 4 in the quarter-finals.

Bowditch was also a bit scratchy and planned a visit to the range to sort out his woes, but Jay Denton, whom he beat one up in the quarters, deserved credit for his performance.

The 19-year-old Philippines-born Manukau member beat national representative Brad Shilton (Te Awamutu) at the 19th in the second round and led Bowditch after nine holes in the afternoon.

The Australian squeezed ahead on the 16th and he held on when Denton just missed a birdie putt on the last.

The semifinals begin at 8 am today and the final of the Heineken-sponsored event will be over 36 holes from 8 am tomorrow.