Golf: Order of merit to debut this weekend

There is an air of confidence in the future of Otago golf on the eve of the Speights Otago strokeplay championships, which will be played over four rounds on the Balmacewen course this weekend.

The men's team finished fifth in the national interprovincial tournament last month and came within one putt of making the semifinals in that event.

Selectors Alan and Murray Rose have set high standards for inclusion, while manager Ben Gallie, a professional at Millbrook, is setting good guidelines for the players on the course.

In addition, the Otago women's team, which has languished at the bottom in the national event for four years, finished in seventh spot last year, showing a vast improvement.

There are an increasing number of trialists of all ages, which provides greater depth and a more competitive environment.

Such a field will tee off at Balmacewen this morning.

The field is strengthened by the presence of top Southland golfers, including Balmacewen course record holder Liam Balneaves, who shot 62 to win this event last year.

The Otago championship is the first event in the inaugural Golf Otago Order of Merit, which will give points for placings in all major tournaments throughout the year.

The programme was designed by Sport Otago CoachForce officer Michael Smith, who believes it will provide a good guide for the selectors.

Due to the generosity of Queenstown resident Russell Jones, there will be a $3000 prize pool for the leaders in this year's merit series.

This will be presented at the Golf Otago awards dinner in November, and money will be held by Golf Otago to assist the top golfers with travel and entry fees to away tournaments.

The second event will be the Dunedin strokeplay at St Clair, which will have a star-studded field, as it will also be the South Island men's championship.

This will be held in three weeks' time, giving local amateurs the opportunity to compete against the best amateurs in New Zealand.