Tasman golfers in encouraging form
Tasman have continued their encouraging build up to next month’s Toro tournament after finishing second at the South Island men’s interprovincial golf tournament in Invercargill at the weekend.
Tasman ended the two-day tournament at Otatara with wins over Aorangi and Southland and a half with Otago, their only hiccup being a heavy 7-1 loss to overall winners Canterbury.
Playing at No 7, Kam Clarke won three of his four matches although No 5, Rarangi’s Dale Rutledge, was the only member of Tasman’s eight-man team to emerge unbeaten, finishing with two wins and two halves.
Rutledge had opened with a convincing 6/5 win over Kevin Teahen in Tasman’s comfortable 6-2 win over Aorangi, then followed that up with a 1up win over Tyler McLean in Southland’s 5.5-2.5 win over host team Southland.
Rutledge completed his individual campaign with halves against Otago’s Duncan Croudis and Canterbury’s Kazuma Kobori. Tasman drew 4-4 with Otago but lost 7-1 to Canterbury.
Clarke recorded wins over Aorangi’s Jeremy Duckmanton (3/1), Southland’s Liam Hewitt (3/1) and Otago’s Inia Logan (3/2) but lost to Canterbury’s Richard Reed 5/4.
Andrew Drummond, Connor Winter and Nick Thomsen each finished with two wins.
Canterbury had three wins and half, against Otago, to finish first on 3.5 points (24.5 games), with Tasman second on 2.5 (16.5). Otago were third on 2 points (19) just two games clear of fourth-placed Southland. Aorangi lost all four matches.
This year’s Toro men’s interprovincial will be played at Northland’s Mangawhai Golf Club starting on December 5.
Meanwhile, Tasman finished a creditable third equal with Waikato at last weekend’s Freyberg Masters men’s interprovincial tournament at the Whitford Park Golf Club in Auckland.
Tasman and Waikato both finished with five points and 22.5 individual wins from the weeklong tournament. Auckland completed back to back titles with a convincing 4-1 win over a strong Wellington side to claim their 12th title in the event’s 32-year history which dates back to 1986.
Tasman beat Otago 4-1, Poverty Bay-East Coast 31⁄ 11⁄ North Harbour 3-2, Taranaki 4-1 and Canterbury 3-2 but lost to Northland 4-1, Auckland 3-2 and Hawke’s Bay 3-2.