The Te Awamutu pair of Titleist New Zealand Academy players Brad Shilton and Glen Millin are in excellent form to provide Waikato's first men's golf team event win in 14 years this weekend at Mount Maunganui.
The low-key Mount Maunganui Rosebowl 72 hole strokeplay event was given a boost last year
when the club - seeking to acknowledge the work of one its former members, the late Grant Clements, to the administration of the sport - invited each association to send a two-man team to play in their club tournament.
Southland won the event through Saymon Kim, 17, Queenstown College, being top individual and Simon Rutherford of Te Anau.
The response of the associations has been better this year.
Shilton and Millin finished two under par at the recent Montana Challenge elimination at Lochiel. They are also Waikato's best-ranked players nationally, at third and 20th on the order of merit respectively.
Shilton picked up two fourths at the last two national trials on the Titleist Tour. In the Canterbury Strokeplay he led after a first round 65 but lost his way in the next two rounds, and finished a solid fourth equal at St Clair in the City of Dunedin Classic.
Shilton has won two junior strokeplay tournaments previously at the Mount course.
Their strongest threat will again come from Canterbury and Otago, although North Harbour, with Chris Johns playing for the first time in their colours, and home team Bay of Plenty will be tough.
Wellington's top two players are unavailable. Left-hander Gareth Paddison is at a private event at Wairakei, and Jonathan Cane is leading his Manor Park club team in their first interclub outing at the Hutt in the Otaki Cup.
Wellington will be represented by their captain Brendon Follows and former Auckland representative Logan Scott, as Hutt have the bye this round, freeing both these players.
