After finishing as runner-up in Hamilton last year, Otago had a bye in the first round yesterday morning.
It was a solid effort by the Otago quintet and the four wins could be crucial should semifinal places be decided on a countback of games.
There were several upsets on the first day as Northland downed Wellington in the morning while Southland beat Canterbury 3-2 in the afternoon.
Defending champion Waikato had an impressive start against cellar dweller Poverty Bay East Coast, winning all five games by solid margins.
Otago No 1 Duncan Croudis won the first two holes of his clash to take an early lead over Taranaki No 1 Brook Gray.
Croudis lost the fifth hole when he made a bogey 5 but won the next two holes and the ninth to go 4-up at the turn.
Gray won the 11h but Croudis returned to 4-up with a par-4 on the 12th before losing the fifth to a par.
He closed out the match with a comfortable birdie 3 on the par-4 15th after hitting his wedge approach to within a metre of the cup.
No 2 Nick Borren also posted a 4 and 3 win for the team after taking an early lead with birdies on the first and fourth holes.
He lost the sixth hole when former Canterbury golfer Andrew Searle made a birdie 3 but won the ninth with a birdie 3 to turn two ahead.
Borren won the first three holes on the homeward nine to go five ahead but the margin was reduced to four when he drove out of bounds on the infamous Dunns Rd hole.
He tasted victory one hole later when the pair halved the 15th holes in pars, sparing Borren from playing the final three holes.
Brent McEwan also got home on the 15th green, beating Tim White after an impressive early start.
McEwan birdied the first two holes and was 3-up after three holes when White bogeyed the par-3 third.
However, the next three holes went White's way when he birdied the fourth while McEwan made a bogey 5 on the sixth.
McEwan won the last two holes on the front nine to turn 3-up and he did not let White back into the match remaining 4-up with three to play.
No 4 Fraser MacLachlan got off to a slow start to be square after five holes but lost No 7 and No 8 to turn two light.
He lost the 11th to a birdie-3 but won the 14th to reduce the margin to two and put Zach Lewis under pressure on the 15h green.
Lewis sank a 3m put to gain at least a half. MacLachlan won the next with a birdie but failed to escape when the pair halved the final hole.
At the tail, Chris Snow was solid winning the first hole but halved the next six holes with Taranaki No 6 Joseph Doyle.
Snow won the final two holes on the front nine to turn 3-up and went four ahead after winning the 11th hole with a par 4.
The pair halved the final four holes giving Otago its fourth 4 and 3 win.
Hot weather has tested the players but the Otatara Links is in immaculate condition and some low scoring is expected today.
Otago will have a tough day at the office, meeting Auckland this morning and Tasman this afternoon.
The Otago players will need to be wary of a wounded Auckland quintet after that team lost to Northland 4-1 yesterday afternoon.
