Golf: Topsy-turvy day helps Auckland

By BOB PEARCE

Canterbury golfers lost to Auckland and then did their conquerors a favour in the interprovincial tournament at Hamilton yesterday.

Thanks to the southerners, in the Tower tournament semifinals this morning Auckland will play favourites Wellington while Waikato will meet Bay of Plenty.

Until the last match finished on a day of stunning upsets, Auckland could have been displaced by North Harbour.

But defending champions Canterbury, lifting themselves from the disappointment of a 3-2 loss to Auckland in the morning, fought back from an early deficit to beat Harbour 3-2 and dash their hopes.

There were no favours in the morning clash between Canterbury and Auckland, with both knowing that the losers would almost certainly be out of the running for the semis.

Four of the five matches were decided on the final hole in a tense showdown with only Auckland no3 Logan Scott breaking free with a 2 and 1 win over Karl Kitchingham.

Kitchingham, hero of Canterbury's victory last year, so lost confidence that he was reduced to playing irons off the tee.

Geoff Sisson and Blair Dibley managed halves for Auckland and no2 Bradley Heaven produced an adventurous birdie to beat Isaac Randall.

Heaven pushed his drive on the 514m par-five last way right on to the next fairway. A four-iron over the trees got him back on track and he set up the 3m birdie putt with a pitching wedge.

Canterbury's Carl Brooking won the battle of the no1's 1 up over Chris Johns, but by then Auckland were home.

With one round to go it looked like a cruise for Wellington, Auckland and Waikato into the semis with Bay of Plenty likely to snare the fourth spot.

Nobody told Taranaki. And there's nothing more prized in Egmont country than an Auckland scalp.

Michael Kurta profited from a Sisson putting nightmare at no5, Joshua Kearns beat Scott 3 and 2 and suddenly Auckland needed a Johns victory in the last game.

Enter the 46-year-old pride of Waitara, Murray Martin, who was playing no1for Taranaki when the tournament was last at Hamilton in 1983.

He was never behind the New Zealand representative and clinched the win on the 17th.

Suddenly Auckland were vulnerable. North Harbour had produced a Houdini escape to beat Northland in the morning and they were ahead in three matches against Canterbury.

Adam Hansen and Phillip Luong went on to easy wins but Eddie Lee came back against Sam Sullivan to give Canterbury the win and Auckland the semifinal place.

Meanwhile, Waikato had carried on their winning way 5-0 over Taranaki and 3-2 over Northland. Brad Shilton at no1 is playing very well, no3 Anthony Barkley has yet to be beaten and Glenn Millin has lost only one game.

But the best record belongs to 21-year-old Kent Skellern, the Bay of Plenty no4 who has won all his matches.