Otago lost any chance of winning this year's title with a 1-4 game loss to Canterbury on the second day of competition in the Freyberg Masters (over-40) men's interprovincial tournament in Gisborne yesterday.
Stephen Hitchcox, the Otago No 5, was the only Otago golfer to post a win, beating Davitt Lavery on the final green.
Hitchcox turned two ahead but lost the 10th and 12th holes to birdies and only hit the lead again when winning the 16th with a par.
Gary Creedy (No 1) turned square with Peter McDougall but found difficulty with the wind-blown greens on the homeward nine, losing on the final green.
Otago's No 2, Ken Shaw, led by two after six holes.
His opponent, Paul Bailey, birdied the seventh and eighth holes to turn square and took the lead with another birdie at the 10th.
Shaw bogeyed the next three holes for losses and could not get back into the game, losing with three holes to go.
Greg Johnson (No 3) turned two behind Jason Sincock, who finished strongly to win 3 and 2.
After his two good wins yesterday, John Cunningham (No 4) had a nightmare of a round, losing by a large margin to Canterbury evergreen Joe Gantley.
The Otago golfers were licking their wounds but were unable to rectify the situation as they had a bye in the afternoon round.
The team will play Northland in the fifth and only round today.
