Golf: Underdogs in running for title challenge

Hawkes Bay, Otago and Taranaki - names not usually associated with provincial golfing glory - cling to title hopes going into today's final day of section play at the men's interprovincial team championship in Wellington.

Hawkes Bay lead their division after yesterday's fifth round as they chase their first title in more than 40 years.

They are among a group of teams showing their teeth with two rounds of section play remaining today at Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club ahead of tomorrow's semifinals and final.

With three wins each, they lead Wellington on individual games, half a point ahead of Canterbury and North Harbour, with Aorangi and Southland a further half a point back.

Auckland remain on top of their division with three wins, half a point ahead of Otago, Taranaki and Tasman.

Otago, who halved with Auckland in a titanic struggle yesterday, have not won the interprovincial title since 1982, Tasman for 15 years, Canterbury for a decade and Taranaki have never had their name etched on the trophy in the event's 60-year history.

Hawkes Bay ran rampant over neighbours Poverty Bay East Coast 4 to yesterday to push to the top of their division while Wellington were forced to work hard to hand North Harbour their first loss 3-2 with capital captain Adam Church winning the crucial game with a late run.

Canterbury bounced back from Wednesday's shock loss to Southland to vanquish neighbours Aorangi 5-0.

They face a daunting final day with matches against Hawkes Bay and Wellington, while Harbour face a less hazardous route against winless Poverty Bay and Aorangi.

Otago loom large after their excellent halved result against Auckland, on the back of the game of the tournament thus far with Brett McEwan beating Eisenhower representative Ryan Fox 2 and 1 in the clash of the No 1s.

The pair fired 11 birdies between them, with the Otago player running hot courtesy of five straight birdies mid-round.

Auckland No 5 Jason Mann made an excellent birdie after a wayward drive to grab the half to secure half a point for his team.

Taranaki recovered from two losses on Wednesday to grab an excellent 3 to 1 win over in-form Manawatu-Wanganui while Tasman continued the misery for defending champions Bay of Plenty 3-2 to compound the logjam of teams with semifinal aspirations in division one.

Bay of Plenty could prove a major impediment as they take on frontrunners Auckland and Otago today while the Manawatu-Wanganui-Otago and Taranaki-Northland could prove pivotal to the final playoff spots.

- NZPA