Urgent rethinking needed

OPINION: Southland's major golfing tournament needs a refresher, writes Nathan Burdon in this week's Straight Up.

For more than three decades it's been a focal point on the golfing calendar, but in recent times its importance has slipped.

Once a mandatory tournament for those chasing New Zealand amateur selection, it now regularly clashes with important events across the Tasman and therefore plays second fiddle.

That's why you won't see some of our best amateurs striding around the Invercargill course this weekend.

You probably won't see many spectators out there, either, although I hope I'm wrong.

One of the late Jim Valli's pet peeves was that local golfers were loathe to get out and support local tournaments.

Possibly we are a bit spoilt by the golf coverage on television.

Maybe people expect a bit more these days.

Events like the New Zealand Open have a massive volunteer army to provide support for things like a regularly updated main scoreboard, or mobile scoreboards with the leading groups.

The Invitiational has rolled along quite nicely without any of these newfangled notions, so perhaps it's fine to keep things the way they are.

However, the sports reporter in me can't help but agitate for some sort of change, perhaps the addition of a professional event to spice things up and bring top golfers in greater numbers to Invercargill.

The sport is getting better exposure in media nationally, and we are blessed with some golfing gems in Southland which we need to do more to promote.

I couldn't agree more with Sav's column during the week calling into question whether Kevin Cooper's skills were being fully utilised by Southland cricket.

Since arriving in the city five years ago he has been handed an increasing number of hats – coaching, administration, groundskeeping. Now it appears that the groundsman duties have become his primary focus.

Here we have a guy who has the respect of Sir Richard Hadlee, a guy who took 1000 wickets at county level and who has worked as a technical assistant with the New Zealand team and we have put him on a lawnmower.

Testing financial times require everyone to do whatever they can for an organisation, but this is bordering on criminal.

The Southland Cricket Association has perhaps been a victim of its own success in attracting more top-level games to the city and then having to provide facilities for them.

However, on the home front, Southland cricket has struggled for quality bowlers since I've been in this job.

Two of our best have been Mark Billcliff, who came to us via Otago, and Nic Turner, whose appearances in maroon have been spasmodic at best as he's chased first-class opportunities.

If Southland cricket is going to have the sort of success on the pitch it has enjoyed in gaining the ear of the community funders for flash buildings then it has to start developing more quality players.

Cooper has more to offer than as a tractor jockey. Let's find a way to make it happen.

PS: Go the Sharks.

» Nathan Burdon has been the Southland Times sports editor since 2003 and has won numerous journalism awards, including provincial sports writer of the year.

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