Otago remains unbeaten after being held to a half by Taranaki in the fifth round of the New Zealand men's interprovincial tournament at St Andrews in Hamilton yesterday.
The half puts Otago in second place in division two with 3.5 points and 15 games, behind Bay of Plenty, on four points and 14.5 games.
Otago plays third-placed Waikato this morning, and Bay of Plenty this afternoon.
Otago coach Ben Gallie remains confident his team can make tomorrow's playoffs.
''Despite the half with Taranaki, the boys played solid golf on the finishing holes,'' Gallie said.
''It has come down to what we expected - having to beat Waikato in what is really a quarterfinal in the sixth round.'The old adage that there are no easy games was clearly illustrated yesterday, when Hawkes Bay beat Tasman, and Aorangi held Canterbury to a half.
Otago's half with Taranaki is likely to harden the players' resolve as, despite some tough early matches, it was the first time the players were tested at the death.
Otago No 3 Brent McEwan has posted four wins while Nick Borren (No 4) is unbeaten with three wins and a half.
In the battle of the No 1 golfers, Duncan Croudis came up against seasoned campaigner Brad Hayward.
Croudis was square after five holes and won the seventh and eighth holes to turn two up.
But Hayward responded on the homeward nine with four consecutive birdies to go one ahead.
Croudis squared the match with a birdie three at the 14th but Hayward birdied the final two holes to claim the honours.
Jamie Anstiss had a tight tussle with Taranaki No 2 Jamie Reid, in a match that seesawed throughout both nines.
The pair were square after five holes but Anstiss lost the sixth and ninth to turn two light.
Anstiss retaliated by winning the 11th and 12th holes, and the match was square with three holes to play.
Reid birdied the 16th to take the lead while Anstiss birdied the par-four 17th to get back to square.
Reid sank a 1m downhill birdie putt on the final green to win the match.
McEwan took an early lead and was two ahead after the first five holes. He gave Taranaki No 3 Sam Jones little chance on the next two holes with back-to-back birdies to increase his lead to four.
McEwan bogeyed the ninth to turn three up before losing the 11th to a birdie which reduced the margin to two.
McEwan won the 14th and parred his way home to take the match on the 16th green.
Otago No 4 Nick Borren also had a tight game, turning one down, and a costly shank at 13 put him two behind with five holes to play.
Borren sprang into action, birdieing the 14th, 16th and 17th holes to return to square.
The pair halved the final hole in pars for a valuable half, sparing Otago its first loss.
Mark Brooks, at No 5, was never behind, winning the first, third, sixth and ninth to turn three up.
He won the 10th and 12th to go five ahead, eventually notching his third win on the 14th green.
