Golf: Strong field lined up for SI champs

In the wake of the New Zealand Open at The Hills last week, the feast of top golf continues with the South Island men's and women's championship at St Clair in Dunedin next week.

The event, which starts next Thursday with one round each day for four days, has attracted a strong amateur field with all of the top men and women competing.

Of the 114 men and 30 women in the field, 60 men and 15 women have handicaps of scratch or better.

After the first two rounds, the field will be reduced to the top 60 men and ties and the top 15 women and ties for the weekend.

The event doubles as the Dunedin championship and will be the second major event in the Otago order of merit series.

Leading contenders in the men's event are two pairs of brothers - Peter and Thomas Spearman-Burn (Miramar) and Blair and Sean Riordan (Takaka).

Vaughan McCall (Gore) is in form after his North Island under-19 championship win, while Ben Campbell (Masterton), Ryan Chisnall (Greenacres), Tim Leonard (Timaru) and Sir Bob Charles Scholarship winner Duncan Croudis (Otago) are the best of the youth brigade.

Otago No 1 Brent McEwan (St Clair) is playing at home and will be keen to add this title to his Otago strokeplay win last week.

Tony Giles (St Clair) and Bruce Grant (Queenstown) are two former Otago No 1 players making a welcome return to the competitive scene.

Former professional Catherine Knight (Ashburton) has regained her amateur status and will be out to make her mark.

But she will face stern opposition from Zoe Brake (Whakatane), Caroline Bon (Northland) and Emily Perry (Lochiel), who were members of the national team a year ago.

Lisa Wright (Nelson) is a former national representative, while Zumbee Ko (Harewood) is the low marker with a handicap of -3.5.

Otago's hopes of producing a winner lie with Shani Arona (Arrowtown) and St Hildas Collegiate pupil Laura Hoskin (Arrowtown).