Momoka Kobori (Rangiora) has returned to St Clair to defend the South Island women's title she won last year by five shots from Brooke Hamilton (Maungakiekie).
Kobori, a 16-year-old year 12 student at Rangiora High School, hopes to achieve the double in the South Island Stroke Play Championship this weekend. She posted rounds of 71, 76, 71 and 74 last year to lead the field from the first round.
Despite only 15 entries, Kobori will face some tough competition with Grace Senior (Wairakei International), Jasmine Rou (Russley) and Amelia Garvey (Kaiapoi) all on plus handicaps.
Most of the remaining players come from Otago or Southland and there is particular interest in the performances of young Otago representatives Annabel Evans and Abigael Crawford.
Evans is in good form, having won the Otago women's stroke-play title at Balmacewen last month.
The winner of last year's men's title, Denzel Ieremia, has not returned this year but there are still other competitors with plus handicap indices.
Leading the field is Jason Gulasekharam (North Shore) on plus three, while Brian Joe (Titirangi) is on plus two.
Others in this category are Michael McAuley (Russley), Ben Turner (Otago), Tyler Wood (Ngahinepouri) and last year's Otago team reserve, Inia Logan (Wakatipu Junior).
Kunaal Singh (Whitford Park), Jeremy Hall (Greenacres), Joe Tiplady (The Grange), Shiv Sabherwal (Manukau) and Charlie Smail (Walton) are all in with a chance.
Smail is the son of touring professional David Smail and he has the pedigree to perform, as his mother, Sheree Higgins, was the first Kiwi woman to win a professional tournament.
Otago teams enjoyed their most successful year for decades last year and with Duncan Croudis turning professional and the retirement of Brent McEwan and Chris Snow (both St Clair), the door is wide open for contenders to fill the void.
Logan has the front running, while former Wellington No2 Fraser Maclachlan (Millbrook) played at No4 for Otago in the two top teams event last year.
Since Otago won the under-19 team event in Cambridge last year, there have been a host of younger golfers waiting in the wings. Sungwoo Han (Queenstown), Ryan Bellamy (St Clair) and Connor Ross (St Clair) lead the pack, while Ryan's younger brother Jacob Bellamy (16) won the Taieri Classic last month.
Other juniors to watch will be Jakob Bleach (St Clair), Terry Kim (Wakatipu Junior), Scott Clark and Jonathan Mackay (both Lower Waitaki) and Jack Turner (Wakatipu Junior).
The St Clair course is in pristine condition and if the weather allows, many of these players will go low this weekend.
