Bay of Plenty men’s team wins interprovincial title in front of home crowd

Bay of Plenty won its first New Zealand men’s interprovincial title in a decade in front of hundreds of home supporters at Omanu on Saturday.

The home team, which last won the matchplay competition at the Otago club in 2012, beat Auckland in a tense final.

Bay of Plenty won 3.5-1.5, but the match was only decided on the final hole between Bay No.1 Mitchell Kale and Joshua Bai.

No.5 and captain Jordan Golding and No.4 Hayden White had given the Bay two points, while No.2 Shaun Campbell secured a vital half.

Kale needed a half against Bai but went one better, winning the final hole to secure an emotional victory.

"We are absolutely stoked," Golding said.

"It was amazing to see all the support out there, and it’s probably the biggest crowd I’ve seen around Omanu. It feels amazing to do it in front of them.

"It’s different playing in front of your home supporters.

"We felt an extra bit of pressure all week, which we tried to convert into positive energy. I think that certainly helped us get over the line today; it was tight, and thankfully, we were able to do it for them."

Bay of Plenty had not made the final since 2013.

Golding hoped the victory repaid those who had helped the province get back to winning ways.

"It’s been a long 10 years for the district. We were dominant in this event for several years and since then, we have been rebuilding.

"Over the last couple of years, we felt we’d finally got a group of guys that would be around for a little while. It’s awesome to get over the line and pay back what a lot of people in the district have done for us over the many years, and it was extra special that we were able to do it at home."

Kale, who won seven out of eight matches, was named player of the tournament, while Campbell had the best record with 7.5 out of a possible eight points.

On the women’s side, Auckland returned after missing last year’s tournament during the regional lockdown to beat North Harbour 3-2 in the final.

Auckland No.4 Grace Zhan and No.3 Caryn Khoo each won 4 and 3, while the winning point came from No2 Rebekah Blackwell-Chin, who beat Amy Im 2 and 1.

It sealed a good week for Auckland, which had to battle on without No2 Fiona Xu when she withdrew due to illness.

Khoo was named player of the tournament, winning all eight of her matches.

The interprovincial, held as a combined men’s and women’s tournament for the first time this year, is to be held at the Paraparaumu Beach and Waikanae clubs in 2023.

By: Staff reporter