New faces as trials start for provincial teams

Otago's top men and women tee off on Sunday in the 36-hole Chisholm Links Open, the first of a series of trials and matches to select the  teams to compete in the national interprovincial tournaments in December.

There is heightened interest in this year’s trials because the men’s team is likely to have some new faces and the women’s team will be chosen by a new selection panel.

With Duncan Croudis becoming a non-amateur, Brent McEwan retiring and Nick Borren opting out this year, there is plenty of opportunity for the younger brigade to step up.

Both men and women can stake their claims in the 72-hole Queenstown Open on September 3 and 4.

The women’s Wanaka event is on September 7, and the men’s 36-hole Wanaka tournament comes three days later.

The men continue at Cromwell on September 11, followed by the 72-hole North Otago tournament during the following weekend.

Ten men will be named to compete against Aorangi and Southland in the triangular event at Chisholm Links during the first weekend in October.

The Lakes District Champs at Arrowtown and the Otago matchplay championship at Balmacewen at Labour weekend will follow.

Eight selected men will then play in the South Island interprovincial at St Clair on November 5-6, after which the final team of five plus a reserve will be named to play in the interprovincial event in New Plymouth.

After the Wanaka tournament, two women’s teams will be named for the clash between town and country before the top eight players take on Southland for the elusive Salisbury Cup.

A further chance for the women to impress will be the Otago matchplay with eight players then competing in the South Island teams event on the Russley course on November 5 and 6.

After a training camp in mid-November, the final team will be named for the interprovincial event on the Westown course in New Plymouth on December 6-10.

With the national masters (over-40) tournament to be staged at Chisholm Links during the first week of November, all of their trials will be either strokeplay or gross Stableford events, all to be held on the linksland course.

The only other event is a 36-hole masters event in conjunction with the Queenstown tournament, while the selected players are expected to compete in the Otago matchplay championship at Balmacewen as their final warm-up before the national event.

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