Bill Trewern

Otago had mixed fortunes on the first day of the women's interprovincial tournament which began in fine conditions on the St Clair course yesterday.

Rules referee Watson Barkman is a tireless servant of Otago golf and is acting as the rules referee in the women's interprovincial tournament at St Clair.

Auckland will start a warm favourite when 14 teams tee off in the New Zealand women's interprovincial tournament, which begins with the first round of matchplay on the St Clair course this morning.

''A labour of love'' is how St Clair green keeper Andrew Hobbs describes the laying of the new 18th green which will test the putting skills of the players in the women's interprovincial tournament at St Clair.

Laura Hoskin, the Otago women's No 1, is looking forward to playing in her fourth interprovincial tournament when she tees off in the first round at St Clair on Tuesday.

Shelley Duncan, the professional at the Otago Golf Club, which is hosting the men's interprovincial tournament this week, has had plenty of time to reflect on the difference between the status of the men's and women's events.

Samson Kim (Queenstown) and Brandon Hodgson (Otago) are the two new caps in the Otago five-man team which will compete in the Toro Interprovincial teams' tournament at Balmacewen on December 4 to 8.

Vaughan McCall (Gore) finished seven under par over three rounds to win the Taieri Golf Classic which was played over 54 holes on the Taieri course during the weekend.

Otago no 5 Kyle Geary and his Canterbury opponent, Jason Sincock, found themselves at the centre of an armed offenders callout during their eighth-round match in the Freyberg Masters (over-40) interprovincial on the Maraenui course in Napier yesterday morning.

Otago started as one of the Freyberg Masters favourites with a bye yesterday morning but made a poor start to its campaign with a loss to North Harbour in the afternoon.

Southland continued its winning form, scoring 3 points and 22 games to be the runaway winner of the South Island teams tournament played over four rounds at Balmacewen at the weekend.

Southland could be the benefactor of local knowledge when the men's teams tee off in the South Island interprovincial tournament at Balmacewen this morning.

The pennant finals played in Central Otago yesterday signalled the end of the St Clair club's dominance with a young and vibrant Queenstown team dishing out a 5-1 win over the town team in the final yesterday.

Vaughan McCall (Gore) won his second Otago matchplay title by beating Liam Balneaves (Greenacres) 3 and 2 in a rain-interrupted final at Balmacewen yesterday afternoon.