With the shifting of the SBS Southland invitational tournament from March to November, no representative teams will be named until at least August this year.
This means that Otago's three leading strokeplay events, the Otago strokeplay, the Taieri Classic and the Dunedin strokeplay tournament, will have little bearing on team selections.
However these events are crucial for the younger brigade, who will be contesting five under-19 places and five under-16 places for the South Island junior interprovincial on the Coringa course in Christchurch in April.
This weekend's championship has attracted more than 50 seniors, 12 masters (over-40) and a dozen women.
The senior event will be decided over 72 holes, while the masters and women's tournaments will be played over 18 holes each day.
The event has attracted almost all of the leading players and five of the six golfers who helped Otago finish runner-up in the Toro interprovincial in Hamilton last December will compete.
Only No 1, Duncan Croudis, is missing, as he is in Australia. He played the Lake Macquarie amateur last week, has the Australian Amateur this week and the New South Wales amateur next week before returning to Dunedin early next month.
Jamie Anstiss (No 2) will also be in the field, as he will now take up his scholarship in the United States later this year.
Brent McEwan had seven wins out of eight at No 3 in Hamilton and must start as the favourite to win the Otago title.
Nick Borren (No. 4) and Mark Brooks (No. 5) would not surprise as both played well in Hamilton, with Brooks posting six wins and a half from his eight matches.
Team reserve Brandon Hodgson will relish playing on his home course and after sitting out the week at the Toro, he is keen to make his mark this year.
The Taieri Classic is on February 15 and should also attract a class field, although Croudis and McEwan will be representing Otago in the Grant Clements Memorial at Mount Maunganui that weekend.
Perhaps the Dunedin Championship at St Clair the following weekend will attract the best field, as this event doubles as the South Island championship.
