Golf: Veteran misses out by one

Waikato amateur Andrew McKechnie came within a shot of qualifying to play on the lucrative European seniors tour for the over-50s next year.

McKechnie survived the first qualifying stage, in which Taranaki golfer Murray Martin missed by a shot.

The Scots-born McKechnie, a veteran Waikato representative, finished the final qualifying in Portugal in equal 16th place with four others.

The top eight earned full playing rights and the next eight qualified for restricted rights.

McKechnie missed out on the 16th place in a playoff.

His only consolation was that he was the top amateur in a field of mostly professionals and that his rounds of 71, 70, 72 and 72 for an even-par total of 284 were only four shots behind the top qualifier, Canadian Bruce Heuchan, who won in a three-way playoff.

* * *

Fourteen-year-old Ben Wallace will line up against 17 other senior club champions in the Auckland champion of champions tournament at Titirangi on Sunday.

Wallace is champion at the Auckland Golf Club, which hosted the New Zealand Open on its Middlemore course in January.

On his way to the club title he beat former national champion David Somervaille, who was champion of champions last year.

The Akarana Club came close to providing an even younger champion. Twelve-year-old Seve Ha was beaten in the club final by Tony Simpson.

Intermediate and junior club champions will also compete at Titirangi on Sunday over 36 holes. The North Harbour champion of champions is at Waitakere at the same time.

* * *

Akarana Golf Club, which has catered for players in the Mt Roskill district for 76 years, will unveil its latest makeover tomorrow.

Motorway works, which have threatened for some years, will take the par-three first hole and force the pro shop to move into the main clubhouse.

The new course layout resembles in some ways one of the earlier configurations.

Players will start on what used to be the 10th hole. The course will retain a par of 70 over 5779m.

A new lake has been formed to add to the two already in place, providing a challenging par-three 11th hole.

The closing five holes remain basically the same, finishing in front of the clubhouse, which was opened 10 years ago.

The club has 1200 members playing on a $13 million course, which it owns.

* * *

The 2006 Ryder Cup, to be played over the K Club's North course in Ireland, will take place from September 22 to 24.

The matches were to have been played in 2005, but were delayed by 12 months after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

The US lead the 76-year series by 24 victories to eight. Two series have been tied.

* * *

The New Zealand women's veterans' foursomes at Maraenui in Napier last week produced a perfect example of the maxim that golf is a game for life.

Eighty-three-year-old Roma Cole from Mt Maunganui combined with Dawn Houston from Omanu to win the Ladies' Golf Union Salver, one of the top awards.