Golf: Testing tournament for Otago team

Brent McEwan.
Brent McEwan.
The Otago men's team will face an acid test against the top New Zealand provinces when play begins in the Southland Invitational tournament on the Otatara course in Invercargill this morning.

Otago convincingly won the triangular against Aorangi and Southland in Cromwell last month and won the South Island event at Russley two weeks ago, beating Canterbury by a 6 to 2 margin on the final day.

But the top quintet will be severely tested at Otatara and will have to show strokeplay rather than matchplay skills to win the SBS-sponsored event.

Otago has only won this event once, in 1980, when it was led by Geoff Clarke, who was a New Zealand representative at the time.

The team has won the Founders Trophy twice - in 2004 and again last year.

But it will be most disappointing if Otago is in the running for that title this year as it is contested over the final 36 holes by the seven bottom teams after Saturday's two rounds.

Otago will be led by Brent McEwan, who won the Russell Hayward Memorial trophy for the lowest four-round individual score last year.

With rounds of 71, 66, 66 and 72, McEwan scored 275 to equal Waikato's Matthew Holten's score in 2003.

McEwan's 275 was just shy of the tournament record of 273 set by Australian Rohan Blizard seven years ago.

These scores may be out of reach this year as cold and wet conditions are forecast.

McEwan will be ably supported by James Anstiss, Duncan Croudis, Nick Borren and Mark Brooks, who will all have to adapt to the strokeplay format.

Defending champion Auckland could be the toughest opponent but Tae Koh at No 1 is the sole survivor of last year's winning team.

Bay of Plenty has been dominant in matchplay events in recent years but has not won in Invercargill since 2006.

Manawatu-Wanganui won the New Zealand interprovincial at North Shore last December and will again be led by No 1 Josh Munn, although his brother, Trent, is conspicuous by his absence.

A trainee PGA team led by local apprentice Cody Harper should feature, while Southland has a talented top five and could be tough playing at home.

Another South Island team to watch is Canterbury, although the team has been severely weakened by the absence of No 1 Jordan Bakermans.

With the aid of a medical certificate, Bakermans was able to use a golf cart in the South Island event two weeks ago but he is taking time out as his back injury continues to plague him.

• Lydia Ko has made a strong start at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational tournament in Mexico City, The New Zealand Herald resports.

The world No 3 and LPGA rookie of the year fired a 4-under 68 to sit in third place yesterday.

American Christina Kim held the first-round lead at 7-under, a further shot ahead of Spaniard Azahara Munoz.

The New Zealand teenager was 3-under at the turn before dropping a shot at the par-five 11th.

However, back-to-back birdies on the final two holes enabled Ko tp secure sole third place at the end of day one.

World No 1 Inbee Park needed two late birdies to finish with a respectable 2-under 70 and sits in seventh, while world No 2 Stacy Lewis struggled with a 4-over 76 to lie 31st in the 36-player field.

Ko needs to finish ahead of world No 4 Michelle Wie to ensure a chance to win the $1 million jackpot at next week's season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

Wie opened with a 1-over 73.

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