Quality field of top Canterbury golfing amateurs on Sunday

A stellar field of Canterbury’s top amateurs will turn out for the Golf Warehouse Canterbury 4 Ball Best Ball (4BBB) Championship at Waimairi Beach Golf Club on Sunday.

Demand to play in the men’s championship has been unprecedented with more than 30 pairs balloted out of the 32 pairs available for the men’s field.

The ballot was based on combined handicap index with the cut-off being a combined 7.9 handicap index or less – an average individual handicap index of 4 or lower.

Many of the top players are itching for opportunities to get out and compete after Covid-19.

Adding to the field quality are the likes of Tom Parker, Dominic Brettkelly, Marcel Boet, and Hiroki Miya who would normally be in the USA on university scholarships.

While the 4BBB is seen by many as a gentle “season opener”, when this many top players come together, the competitive juices are sure to flow.

Notable pairings include Hiroki Miya and Josh Roche, Reid Hilton and Peter Brinsdon, Tom Parker and Ben Baker, Hayato Miya and Zach May, Ryan Bellamy and Sam Purdon (defending champions), Andrew Dufton and Aaron Forsyth, and Michael McAuley and Owen Burgess.

The women’s field is equally impressive with the standout pairing being one of the world’s leading amateurs Amelia Garvey paired with Canterbury representative Maddie May.

On combined handicap index they are five shots clear of the next pairings – Olive Tapu and Catherine Bell, then Amy Weng and Yoyo Fu. A notable pairing is that of former NZ and Canterbury representative Momoka Kobori who has taken young Avondale up-and-comer Zaria Bourne under her wing to play with.

With the quality of the field, the men’s net divisions have been combined into one. Prizes will be awarded in men’s and women’s gross and net divisions.

This Sunday will surely be a celebration of top amateur golf in Canterbury bringing together the cream of the crop for an 18-hole shoot-out that could see some spectacular scoring.

Aside from the golf, the social opportunity of bringing our best players together should not be overlooked, as the top-level of the game restarts in Canterbury after the barren days of Covid-19.