The event is the second trial tournament, following the Taieri Classic last November. The Otago quintet will be named after the final trial, the South Island championship at St Clair in three weeks.
The selection of recent Otago teams follows no pattern as no fewer than 11 players have been in the past three five-man teams.
Only captain and No 1 Brent McEwan has been in all three teams while Tony Giles (St Clair) has made two appearances and Simon Hollyer (Queenstown) one top-five selection and one as reserve.
The remaining nine golfers have been selected for only one of the three teams.
After the Taieri Classic, McEwan is again the leading contender but the next two prospects will again provide new blood in the team.
Millbrook apprentice greenkeeper Kayne Wardell shot 73, 72 and 71 at Taieri to finish in a tie for third and came close to making last year's national interprovincial team.
Mark Collie (Chisholm Park) was the next best Otago player at Taieri and looks on target to make an impact.
But the competition in the next two 72-hole events will be fierce, with Mark Brooks returning from overseas and keen to regain his place in the top five.
There is a plethora of young talent from Queenstown led by Samson Kim, who made his debut at Balmacewen last year.
Any one of the young Central Otago players could make their mark this year, with Ed Cochrane, Chadol Han, Sungwoo Han, Dong Young Kim and the more seasoned Simon Boland and Jamie Griffin in the mix.
The real challenge for the locals will be to keep the title in Otago, with a strong Southland contingent keen to take yet another title down south.
Tyler McLean, Liam Balneaves, Matt Tautari and Jeremy Hall will be the favoured Southlanders, while the field will be able to pit their skills against Dunedin-based professional Mahal Pearce, who can post a score but not win the amateur title.
New Zealand amateur Lydia Ko was one shot off the clubhouse lead following her opening round in defence of her New South Wales Open title yesterday, APNZ reports.
The 15-year-old hit three birdies and an eagle to fire a 5-under 67, one shot behind a trio of players at 6-under.
Michael Campbell was one shot off the lead at the midway point of the Qatar Masters in Doha yesterday after the New Zealander fired a second-round 4-under 68 to be 8-under for the tournament.
