The future of Otago men’s golf appears to be in good hands.
Otago’s youngsters finished runners-up at the New Zealand junior interprovincial tournament for a second straight year last week.
Now the challenge is to see if they can get the trophy back for the first time since 2016.
They swept through the early rounds at the Cambridge Golf Club with wins over Manawatu (3.5-2.5), Hawke’s Bay (5.5-0.5), Canterbury (3.5-2.5), Aorangi-Southland (5-1) and North Harbour (3.5-2.5).
That meant another place in the final, a year after Otago had been pipped 3.5-2.5 by Auckland.
Wellington and Otago went toe to toe in the final before a couple of key putts went Wellington’s way in the final holes and they claimed a 3.5-2.5 win.
Otago No 3 Connor Howes was 1-up heading to the 18th when his Wellington opponent holed a 30-foot putt down the hill, and Howes missed a 15-footer for birdie, so that match was halved.
At No 1, Noah Novacek kept pace with Wellington’s Ned Butler before the latter drained two long putts on 16 and 17.
Albie Reed (3&1) and Raphael Anderson (4&2) had wins for Otago, while both Will Summers and Kai Koni suffered 1-down defeats.
Koni and Novacek were the only players with previous junior interprovincial experience.
"We had four on debut and they really stood up in their first time out", Golf Otago boss Mahal Pearce said.
"That group of kids are really good players, and just a good bunch of lads.
"I think we can hold our head quite high because we’ve performed well at that event."
Four of the six-strong interprovincial teams must be U19 and two U16.
At just 13, Anderson was the youngest in the Otago team.
Ricky Kang, who won all six of his matches at the New Zealand junior interprovincial last year, was missing at Cambridge as he was playing in the Jack Newton International Junior Classic tournament in New South Wales wine country.
Kang tied for 21st at the Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club, and fellow Otago player Josh Harris tied for 31st.
Kang (Futures Wakatipu) then returned to win the Cromwell 36-hole Open on Sunday.
He fired rounds of 73 and 71 for a one-shot victory over Ben Patston (Otago).
Parker Aluesi (St Clair) and Troy Scott (Cromwell) tied for third.
A day earlier, Island Park veteran Phil Bungard added another title to his name when he won the Lakes District Championship at the Arrowtown club.
Bungard finished 1-under with rounds of 70 and 69, followed by three players — Patston, Koni and Scott — at even par.
Otago will this week name their teams for the South Island interprovincial at the Harewood and Russley courses.
