Southland is shaping as the dark horse in the New Zealand women's masters tournament starting at Balmacewen today.
The team is led by former New Zealand representative Robyn Boniface, who is one of the most experienced players at the tournament.
The other members of the team are former Southland senior representative Robyn Pullar, Shona Elder and Dianne Lanaway.
Shelley Duncan, the professional at the Otago Golf Club, said there were many experienced players in the tournament at the par-73 course.
Most of the entrants were skilled at the short game.
"They are very tidy," Duncan said.
"They hit the ball as far as the average male golfer and keep it in play better."
Fourteen teams of four players will compete in the event, which is being run under the gross stableford points system, with the best three scores counting over the 72-hole tournament.
Taranaki, the defending champion, has the same team as last year when it edged out Hawkes Bay-Poverty Bay by just one point at Kerikeri.
The team of Debbie McCallum, Eleanor Hodson, Svala Garner and Chris Wilson is one of the favoured teams, along with Auckland.
Bay of Plenty has won the Russell Grace Cup a record five times since the event was first held in 1992.
But it finished a disappointing 13th last year and the team of Gloria Mayes, Anna Brabyn, Margot McCool and Libby Steele is keen to bounce back.
The most experienced member of the Otago team is Dianne Gillett, who has competed in masters and interprovincial competitions for many years.
The other members of the Otago team are Toko's Raewyn Devlin at No 1, Reany Rust and Lynda Rendall.
Play starts on the Balmacewen course at 8.30am today, with two rounds being played tomorrow.
The final round will be played on Sunday morning from 8.30am.
