Golf: Top field ready for winter strokeplay

Some of the country's best amateur golfers will contest next weekend's Waikato Winter Strokeplay tournament.

The four-round, 72-hole event at the Lochiel Golf Club will test a talented field, many of whom are near the top or challenging for places at the upper end of New Zealand Golf amateur order of merit.

Grounds staff have faced challenging weather in getting Lochiel par-72, 6025m course ready for the premier tournament. But with warmer patterns on the way, they are confident of presenting a great challenge.

Many of the players are under 20 but the handicap range from minus 3.5 to around 8 speaks volumes for their abilities.

Organisers are expecting a field in excess of 100 for an event considered one of the top tournaments in the Waikato.

All eyes will be on Te Awamutu's Compton Pikari - ranked at seven on the order of merit. Hard work has reaped rewards for the 16-year-old who Pikari has won the North Island under-19 strokeplay championship and was selected for the New Zealand junior team to play Australia in the Trans-Tasman Cup earlier this year.

This year he had biggest win of his career when he outshone a quality field to win the South Island amateur championships from defending champion Vaughan McCall (Gore) and Tim Leonard (Timaru).

Compton is coached by Reon Sayer at the New Zealand Golf Academy based at St Peter's College, Cambridge.

Pikari will have his hands full with the likes of Luke Toomey (Ngaruawahia) who is playing great golf and has reached the order of merit 18th spot. Luke is a regular Waikato representative through his consistent results.

No-one will count out talented pair Mark Bastin and Denzel Iremaia, from Hamilton Golf Club - both playing well and familiar with the Lochiel layout.

Many in the field will be buoyed by the recent success of former 1989,1990 and 1994 winter strokeplay winner Steve Alker who last week qualified to play the British Open. Alker came up through the Waikato Golf Association's junior programme and has made a success of his professional career.

Professional Michael Long, another local-golfer-made-good, won the event in 1988.