Otago got off to a flier, beating Tasman by 3 to 1, in the first round of the men's interprovincial team tournament at Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club on the Kapiti Coast yesterday.
Team manager Ben Gallie was delighted with the Otago effort as four of the games went to the final hole.
Making his debut at No 4, Hamish Ireland came from behind to grab a vital half, giving Otago 2 games, while No 1 Brent McEwan was still on the course at square with one to play.
McEwan put the icing on the cake with a fine birdie on the final hole to beat Sean Riordan by one after a tight tussle.
Duncan Croudis at No 2 was 4-up at the turn and had a resounding victory over Brett Allan who, at times, was all over the course.
At No 3, Michael Smith started well and went two in front of Blair Riordan with an eagle 3 on the 17th.
The Takaka golfer fought back to one down playing the last hole but Smith birdied the par-5 18th to win the match.
Ireland was three down with five holes to play but nailed his 5 iron on the par-3 14th for a birdie two.
Two holes later, his approach finished dead and he dropped the short putt for his second birdie two.
This put him one behind playing the final hole where his opponent, Ryan Chisnall (16), struck bunker trouble, exploded out of bounds and conceded the hole before Ireland played his second shot.
Simon Hollyer (No 5) fell behind early but fought back well, getting back to square twice, though he never got in front of Hamish Campbell.
He birdied the 17th to keep the game alive but halved the last to lose his first match for Otago, having been unbeaten in 10-man and eight-man teams this year.
Otago will meet the two teams which halved yesterday morning, Taranaki then Waikato.
Meanwhile, pre-tournament favourite Wellington and defending champion Bay of Plenty were both toppled yesterday.
Wellington was ousted 3-2 by Hawkes Bay in the first round, then Taranaki, last in the 2009 tournament, downed Bay of Plenty 3-2.
Wellington, with two Eisenhower Trophy representatives in Ben Campbell and Peter Spearman-Burn, was stopped by a strong Hawkes Bay combination led by North Island champion Nick Gillespie, who beat New Zealand amateur champion Campbell 3 and 2, bagging six birdies in the process.
The other wins went to Pieter Zwart and Richard Squire, who proved the key, coming from two down after nine holes to beat James Betts, the 2008 strokeplay champion, 3 and 1.
Taranaki earlier held Waikato to a 2-2 half in the morning It emerged as the leading team in division one with a win and a half.
In division two, Aorangi-South Canterbury, 12th last year, disposed of Poverty Bay East Coast and Southland. No 3 Simon Wright was under par in winning both games, including five birdies in his afternoon victory over Southland's Cody Harper.
North Harbour beat Southland 4-1 in the morning and stepped up against Hawkes Bay in the afternoon.
Canterbury was emphatic in its only match, beating Poverty Bay 5-0.
Section play continues until Friday with the semifinals and final on Saturday.
- Additional reporting by NZPA
