Otago lost to Auckland 3-2 in the morning, but had reason to celebrate as the two individual wins will help the team's section placing.
But in the afternoon Otago met a determined Waikato quintet after last year's finalist suffered a surprise loss to Hawkes Bay in the morning.
Otago lost all five matches to Waikato and the team's final placing will depend on the result of its match against Southland this morning.
Otago No 1 Laura Hoskin had a baptism of fire against New Zealand representative Cecilia Cho (Auckland), who won three of the first four holes.
The pair halved the next four holes in pars but Hoskin lost the ninth to turn 4 down after she failed to get up and down.
Hoskin missed birdie opportunities on the first three homeward nine holes, failing to get back into the match.
There was no reprieve for Hoskin in the afternoon meeting against another national representative in Emily Perry and she turned 3 down.
She remained dormie 3 down but won the 16th and 17th with birdies, then lost 1 down when the pair halved the final hole.
Jo Hicks-Beach, the Otago No 2, was 3 up at the turn over Auckland's Jesse Hamilton and won the 10th hole with a birdie.
After Hamilton made a double-bogey on the 13th, the match finished one hole later with four holes to spare.
But in the afternoon, Hicks-Beach was five down after seven holes and never recovered, losing 6 and 5.
Otago No 3 Shani Arona started slowly in the morning but turned 3 up on Munchin Keh after winning the seventh and eighth with birdies and the ninth with a par.
Although she had some anxious moments on the back nine she held it together, winning with two holes to spare.
But in the afternoon she turned three behind which was the difference at the end of the game.
Liz McRae (No 4) was playing her 100th game for Otago but turned 4 down to Auckland's Wen Yung Keh.
She fought back on the second nine, eventually losing 2 and 1.
In the afternoon McRae looked on target, turning square, but Waikato's Hanna Seifert eagled the 10th and birdied the 15th to ensure the win.
No 5 Susan Greig started the day unbeaten but suffered two losses, going down to Larissa Eurera by a resounding 6 and 5 in the morning.
In the afternoon Greig had a see-sawing game against Waikato's Fai Tongdethsri and was one ahead after 13 holes. But then Greig lost three holes in a row to be dormie two down before winning the 17th but losing the final hole.
Meanwhile, North Harbour underlined its title credentials with an impressive 4-1 win over in-form Bay of Plenty, APNZ reports.
Bay of Plenty No 1 Zoe Brake came up with some moments of magic against wonder-teen Lydia Ko before losing the match 1 up on the last hole.
The result was already determined before the final match, with Harbour's Kristin Farrell, Julitta Lam and Rebekah Brownlee securing the points, as the defending champion went top of division one.
Earlier, Hawkes Bay was beaten soundly by Auckland.
Cho continued her fine form to win her second match of the day 3 and 2.
Cho has only just returned home after winning her age group at the Aaron Baddeley Junior Invitational in China and losing in a playoff for the overall title.
"I enjoyed being back in China and I played well, apart from the last day, where I could have won the title, but to win my age group was good."
