Hunter ready to defend golf title

A quality field has entered the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato men's masters championship golf tournament next month.

Defending champion, Ngaruawahia's Phil Hunter, will face some of the top masters golfers in the Waikato and a regular contingent of class Aucklanders who always stake a strong claim.

To enter the Waikato Golf Association tournament, golfers have to be aged 40 or more on the day of the event.

The Waikare Golf Club's course at Te Kauwhata is in great shape for the 36-hole, one-day event scheduled for August 18. It will be the 20th year the tournament has been contested.

Hunter has not played a lot of tournament golf recently and his form is only luke warm but he says some practise and two or three rounds before tee off will see him in contention again.

He played championship pennants for Ngaruawahia this season, going down in the final to Hamilton. Earlier this year, he won his club's senior strokeplay championship.

Playing off a two handicap, Hunter says the tight, par 70 Waikare layout will reward players who give up length to place their ball in the right positions to attack the small, tricky greens.

Hamilton Golf Club players Wybo Veldman and Andrew McKechnie are likely to challenge Hunter for the title.

McKechnie is a former masters' winner along with Ngahinapouri's Stu Reid, former Waikato representative John Gatley and New Zealand and Waikato representative Colin Taylor, who took the title in 1993 and 1994.

To enter the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Men's Masters Championship, phone Megan at Waikato Golf 849 1328.