Wellington aiming to get back on track

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An experienced Wellington team says it will draw motivation from the empty feeling of two consecutive final losses and it aims to do better at this year's men's interprovincial golf tournament.

Fifteen teams square off at Manawatu Golf Club's Hokowhitu course in Palmerston North this week, with a strong Wellington side attempting to become the most successful province in the event's 58-year- history, building on 12 previous victories.

After dominating during the 1990s, winning seven times in 11 years, Wellington have endured a dry run since their last triumph in 2001 at New Plymouth.

They finished runners-up in 2007 and 2008, losing to Bay of Plenty, and hopes are high within the camp that they can make it third time lucky this year.

Four of the five-man team - Peter and Tom Spearman-Burn, Sean Kells and Adam Church - remain from last year's beaten finalists, with big-hitting Royal Wellington player Haupai Puha replacing now-professional Andrew Green. Puha is making his interprovincial debut.

"The team is experienced a bit and knows what it takes," Wellington No 1 and New Zealand's leading amateur, Peter Spearman-Burn, said.

"We also remember the feeling in losing and we will be using that for some motivation.

"I think we seem to have the tougher side of the draw, we've got some big battles early and if can get through, then it should go well for us."

The teams are split into two divisions competing in a round-robin from tomorrow till Friday, with the semifinals and final on Saturday.

Wellington are in division two with Waikato, Hawke's Bay, Auckland, Tasman, Manawatu- Wanganui and Taranaki.

Auckland appear to be Wellington's biggest threat in round-robin, boasting internationals in Ryan Fox and Ben Wallace, and also including former Northland No 1 Gary John Hill, while last year's semifinalists Waikato will also be tough to beat.

Bay of Plenty, chasing their sixth win in nine years, head division one with an inexperienced team up against Southland, North Harbour, Canterbury, Northland, Otago, Aorangi and Poverty Bay-East Coast.

Only Tauranga's Ben Taylor, who was on debut for Bay of Plenty last year, remains with the defending champions containing four debutants.

Wellington have a first-round bye tomorrow morning before facing Taranaki in the afternoon.

Peter Spearman-Burn is hoping conditions at Manawatu play into Wellington's hands.

"It's a really good track. I'm hoping the greens will be fast and there will be some wind, which will suit the Wellington players just fine."

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