Otago No 1 McEwan is aiming for a third title, having won as a 20-year-old in 2002 and then adding a second victory two years ago. He is playing on his home course and he is also in excellent form.
McEwan starred for the well-performed Otago team at the national interprovincial in Wellington in December, with the highlight a win over Eisenhower representative Ryan Fox.
He then impressed at the Otago strokeplay championship but could not quite defend his title.
McEwan, who leads the Dunedin strokeplay field with a -2.2 handicap, won the Alex Sime Cup for a second time with a two-shot buffer in 2009, pipping Mark Brooks (Queenstown) and Nick Borren (Windsor).
Borren is back for the Powerade-sponsored event and will be among McEwan's leading challengers. Vaughan McCall (Gore) has traditionally played well at St Clair, as has Timaru's Tim Leonard.
Jeremy Hall (Greenacres) will lead the Southland charge just weeks after winning the Otago strokeplay by a shot, while Tom Turner (Christchurch) is fresh off victory in the Grant Clement national teams event.
Michael Smith (Otago), Stephen Hitchcox (St Clair), Tyrone Ratahi (Otago), Glen Christie (Wanaka), Cameron Beel (Otago) and Greg Johnson (St Clair) are other leading local contenders.
Just eight of the field are at scratch handicaps or better, but a further 17 are playing off better than 2.
St Clair hosted 120 golfers in the Otago Daily Times charity pro-am/am-am yesterday.
The event was won by the Westpac team with an exceptional score of 49.75. Mitch Bosley, Fred Chaney, Harry Hood and Bill Wright claimed second, and Bouzaids third.
Otago Golf Club professional Shelly Duncan scored a hole in one on the fourth.
Dunedin strokeplay
- St Clair, today and tomorrow
• Rounds: Four.
• Golfers: 77.
• Course record: 63, Simon Brownlee (Muriwai), 2010.
• Tournament record: 268 (16-under-par), Thomas Campbell (St Clair), 2006.
• Last five winners: Andrew Stewart (2010, Omokoroa), Brent McEwan (2009, St Clair), Daniel Pearce (2008, Coringa), James Gill (2007, Hamilton), Thomas Campbell (2006, St Clair).
