It is time for the cream of Otago men’s golf to stand up and be counted.
The annual Otago matchplay at Balmacewen this weekend is the last big chance for players to impress ahead of the interprovincial campaign.
An eight-man senior team will be named on Monday for the South Island interprovincial at Hororata next weekend.
The usual suspects — Tom Lee, Brandon Hodgson, Ryan Bellamy, Ben Patston and others — are in the matchplay field, along with leading Southlanders like 2020 champion Matt Tautari and Liam Balneaves.
Lee, the Otago No 1 last year, has had another busy year and will be keen to bank this title on his home track.
Parker Aluesi has been in some good form, the rising Will McLachlan spent the winter playing events in Australia and will be looking to take that experience to the next level and push for a place in the Otago team and Luke Murdoch was the form player over the winter in the local pennants, and will be keen to keep his place in the side.
It all means the selectors should have a tough job finalising the interprovincial team — which is the ideal situation.
A six-strong junior team will also be named on Monday.
The Otago juniors play Canterbury at Hororata a week after the seniors are there.
A player to watch is Lachlan Coutts (Lower Waitaki).
Coutts will be looking to keep his form going from the Otago pennant finals recently, where he halved matches with Otago players Brandon Hodgson and Hamish Ireland.
The field plays 36 holes of strokeplay tomorrow, with the top 16 qualifying for matchplay rounds on Sunday and Monday.
A small women’s matchplay field features Otago No 1 Sumin Kang, Abby Crawford, Sophia Park and Tracy Storer.
