Otago had mixed success on the second day of the Freyberg Masters (over-40) men's interprovincial, with one win and a loss on the Maraenui course yesterday.
The team suffered its second loss of the event in the morning going down to Bay of Plenty by 1.5 to 3.5, but then blitzed the weaker Poverty BayEast Coast quintet with four wins and a half in the afternoon.
After last year's high placing, Otago looked set to be a threat this year but with two losses has almost certainly lost any chance of winning the province's second Masters title.
Otago No 1 Andrew Hobbs faced a barrage of birdies in the morning round from Bay's Blair Murdoch on 2, 3, 5, 11 and 15, and eventually lost on the 16th green.
In the afternoon, Hobbs turned one up but encountered tree trouble on the final four holes to halve with Poverty Bay's Wynne McLennan.
Gary Creedy (No 2) posted two good wins yesterday, the first by a margin of two over Darryl Lowens on the final green.
In the afternoon, Creedy turned four up on Peter Clayton and did not let him back into the game, winning with three holes to spare.
Stephen Hitchcox started badly in his morning match against David Cooke and was four down after seven holes.
He clawed his way back to square with one hole to play but suffered his first loss when Cooke had a tap-in birdie on the final hole to take the match.
No 4 John McIntee was unbeaten yesterday despite being three down at the turn in his morning match.
He played superb golf on the homeward nine to be one up playing the last hole but dislodged a leaf with his practice swing to lose the final hole and half the match.
In the afternoon, he turned two up on Poverty Bay's Brent Colbert and put the result beyond doubt with birdies on the 13th and 16th holes.
Kyle Geary started well to be two ahead after four holes in the morning but a run of bogeys, while Tony Rusmussen made two birdies, reversed the lead and Geary lost on the 15th green.
In the afternoon, his opponent George Brown birdied the first two holes but Geary fought back to lead at the turn.
He hit every fairway in regulation during the round and with wins at 11 and 12 cruised home to take the honours.
Otago will meet a strong Waikato team this morning in the only round to be played today.
