Otago had mixed success on the second day of the Freyberg
Masters (over-40) men's interprovincial, with one win and a
loss on the Maraenui course yesterday.
The team suffered its second loss of the event in the morning
going down to Bay of Plenty by 1.5 to 3.5, but then blitzed
the weaker Poverty BayEast Coast quintet with four wins and a
half in the afternoon.
After last year's high placing, Otago looked set to be a
threat this year but with two losses has almost certainly
lost any chance of winning the province's second Masters
title.
Otago No 1 Andrew Hobbs faced a barrage of birdies in the
morning round from Bay's Blair Murdoch on 2, 3, 5, 11 and 15,
and eventually lost on the 16th green.
In the afternoon, Hobbs turned one up but encountered tree
trouble on the final four holes to halve with Poverty Bay's
Wynne McLennan.
Gary Creedy (No 2) posted two good wins yesterday, the first
by a margin of two over Darryl Lowens on the final green.
In the afternoon, Creedy turned four up on Peter Clayton and
did not let him back into the game, winning with three holes
to spare.
Stephen Hitchcox started badly in his morning match against
David Cooke and was four down after seven holes.
He clawed his way back to square with one hole to play but
suffered his first loss when Cooke had a tap-in birdie on the
final hole to take the match.
No 4 John McIntee was unbeaten yesterday despite being three
down at the turn in his morning match.
He played superb golf on the homeward nine to be one up
playing the last hole but dislodged a leaf with his practice
swing to lose the final hole and half the match.
In the afternoon, he turned two up on Poverty Bay's Brent
Colbert and put the result beyond doubt with birdies on the
13th and 16th holes.
Kyle Geary started well to be two ahead after four holes in
the morning but a run of bogeys, while Tony Rusmussen made
two birdies, reversed the lead and Geary lost on the 15th
green.
In the afternoon, his opponent George Brown birdied the first
two holes but Geary fought back to lead at the turn.
He hit every fairway in regulation during the round and with
wins at 11 and 12 cruised home to take the honours.
Otago will meet a strong Waikato team this morning in the
only round to be played today.
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