2009 Aust v NZ

NEW ZEALAND CONVINCING WINNERS OF THE
2009 SENIOR'S TRANS-TASMAN CHAMPIONSHIP
for THE SANCTUARY COVE TROPHY

DAY 1 REPORT:
Amidst a lot of excitement and definitely a few nerves the players gathered for the first encounter - Foursomes!

First up for New Zealand were two newcomers to Trans Tasman golf - the New Zealand pair of Phil Mosley and Murray Martin They soon made an impact playing the first nine holes in three under par to take a commanding 5 up lead over Denis Dale and Ross Bockman. They eventually wound up easy winners - 6 & 4 to give the Kiwis the early lead. Australia's Ross Percy and Rick Oliver are a very steady team and they led early, played consistent golf from there on and evened up the score when they closed out Hugh Harrison and Ian Donaldson 5&3.

The third match was a closer one with the result waiting until the final hole that saw the New Zealand pair of Barry Shannon and Eric Brodie triumphant with a 2up victory over Norm Way and Nigel Goodall. New Zealand's Rodney Barltrop is a senior super star and fresh from his victory in the Australian Senior Amateur Championship his pairing with the Australian Seniors runner-up Martin Webber made them a very hot pair of Kiwis! Not hot enough though with John Beaumont and Grahame MacDonald sneaking home for the narrowest of victories - a win at the last.

The Australian pairing of Brian Sams and Tony Kennings have played together in the previous two Trans Tasman Championships and entered the match with an undefeated record. They maintained their perfect record with a convincing 3 & 1 win over the high qauality New Zealand pairing of Arthur Parkin and Mike Leitch. Australia's top senior golfer Stefan Athinski was paired with Ian Read n the final group and they battled out a close match against two Kiwi newcomers Ron Olivercrona and John Sanders The New Zealanders were a little too strong at the end and finished with a 2 & 1 victory.

Overall a good result for both teams - - 3 matches each and now straight in to the afternoon fourball matches.

While the morning conditions were almost perfect the afternoon was certainly different with a rain squall and strong winds making the course a real challenge and testing all the players, Perhaps the Kiwis felt more at home. Australia kept its pairing the same for the afternoon fourball and also maintained the same playing order with Denis Dale and Ross Bockman leading off. Early birdies gave them a 2 hole lead over Hugh Harrison and Ian Donaldson and although the New Zealanders kept coming Aussie birdies on seven and eleven maintained the lead at 2 up approaching the 17th. Donaldson's great birdie sent the match down the treacherous 18th hole with the Aussies then managing to hold on to win 1 up.

Behind this group Ross Percy and Rick Oliver were struggling against a very determined Eric Brodie and the obviously classy player Phil Mosley who produced 5 birdies in his round This helped the New Zealanders to a narrow victory on the last hole The matches were again level at 4 each. The strong New Zealand pairing of Murray Martin and Martin Webber found they had a real battle when drawn against Australian fighters Nigel Goodall and Norm Way. In a very close struggle it was the New Zealanders who came out on top with victory at the final hole. A one match lead to the Kiwis.

Morning winners John Beaumont and Grahame MacDonald were playing in their first ever Trans Tasman Championship and they kept their record a perfect one when Beaumont holed a 10 foot putt on the final hole to edge out Barry Shannon and Ron Olivecrona The matches were again level at 5 all.

The undefeated run of Tony Kennings and Brian Sams came to a definite end when Rodney Barltrop produced some of his great play to partner John Sanders in a comfortable5 & 3 victory. The New Zealander's now led by a single point with just the final game to finish. Stefan Albinski and Ian Read struggled early but then found some form to draw level with Mike Leitch and Arthur Parkin with four holes to play. The Kiwi pair rallied with two more birdies to win the match 2 & 1 and give their team a very valuable 2 match lead with just the singles to come.

New Zealand need 5 and a half points from the 12 individual matches to claim their first ever victory in the championship.

FOURSOMES AUSTRALIA	3	FOURSOMES NEW ZEALAND	3
Denis Dale & Ross Bockman		Phil Mosley & Murray Martin	6&4
Ross Percy & Rick Oliver	5&3	Ian Donaldson & Hugh Harrison
Nigel Goodall & Norm Way		Barry Shannon & Eric Brodie	2UP
John Beaumont & Grahame MacDonald	1UP	Rodney Barltrop & Martin Webber
Brian Sams & Tony Kennings	3&1	Mike Leitch & Arthur Parkin
Stefan Albinski & Ian Read		Ron Olivecrona & John Sanders	2&1

FOURBALL AUSTRALIA	2	FOURBALL NEW ZEALAND	4
Denis Dale & Ross Bockman	1UP	Hugh Harrison & Ian Donaldson
Ross Percy & Rick Oliver		Phil Mosley & Eric Brodie	2UP
Nigel Goodall & Norm Way		Martin Webber & Murray Martin	1UP
John Beaumont & Grahame MacDonald	1UP	Ron Olivecrona & Barry Shannon	.
Brian Sams & Tony Kennings		Rodney Barltrop & John Sanders	5&3
Stefan Albinski & Ian Reads		Arthur Parkin & Mike Leitch	2&1

NEW ZEALAND leads AUSTRALIA 7 matches to 5 matches

DAY 2 REPORT:

Following heavy overnight rain play for the all important singles matches was delayed for a little over 30 minutes while course maintenance was completed. In a credit to all involved the course was presented in magnificent condition. The Pines at Sanctuary Cove is definitely one of Australia's hidden golfing jewels.

With Australia trailing by 2 matches after Day One it was important for early success and the Aussies were ready to do their best. Denis Dale led the team off and soon found it would not be easy going when Ron Olivercrona birdied the opening hole. When Dale bogied the difficult 8th hole he was two down. A par at 10 narrowed the gap until they swapped birdies on 13 and 14. The difference was still one hole as they played the demanding final hole. Dale attacked the long water carry but ran through the green into the deadly back bunker and the match was New Zealand's. One up to the Kiwis.

In the second match Rick Oliver looked comfortable with a 2 hole lead with 4 to play but New Zealand's Barry Shannon does not give in easily and he lifted his game to tee off 18 with a one hole lead. When Oliver's second found the same back bunker it was a second win to New Zealand.

Long hitting Aussie Ross Bockman began brilliantly and led Hugh Harrison by 4 holes as they played the eleventh. Harrison found his best golf and charged home to take the match to the final hole where he clinched a very valuable Kiwi win. The first three matches to the Kiwis and it looked likely they would win their first Trans Tasman Championship.

Aussie Ross Percy was the first to record a win for the home side when he birdied seventeen to win against Eric Brodie 2 & 1. At last a point for the Australian team. A little to cheer about but more needed.

Norm Way had a see-sawing battle with Ian Donaldson and a halved match looked on the cards when he found the middle of the 18th green after a marvellous approach shot. However, it was not to be when his first putt was too long and he missed the tricky return. Another final hole win to the New Zealand team who now led 4 matches to one. Australia's Grahame Macdonald also had a close struggle with New Zealand lefty Mike Leitch and yet again the match went to the final hole. MacDonald played the hole well but his putt to square the match slipped by and he too had lost by one hole. The Kiwis had another point and victory was just about certain.

Information came through that in the battle of the number one's Australia's Stefan Albinksi was playing great golf and was a big leader over New Zealand's star player Phil Mosley. Albinski went on to win 6&5 and this win confirmed his status as the best senior amateur golfer in Australia and New Zealand. A valuable point for the Aussies but where were the others?

News arrived that Brian Sams had lost to another New Zealand's big gun - Martin Webber who played well all day to defeat one of Australia's best seniors 4&3. At the same time reports came through that New Zealand's Rodney Barltrop had just won his match against Australian newcomer John Beaumont. Playing some great golf and very keen to see his team win Barltrop was a clear winner defeating Beaumont 5&3.

Nigel Goodall came to the last hole for Australia and team mates were hoping for a better final hole this time. Again it was not to be and when his second shot found the water he joined the group of eighteenth hole losers for Australia. Six of the first seven matches had reached the eighteenth and New Zealand had won them all! The win for New Zealand gave them the total points they needed and it was a happy bunch of Kiwis that celebrated behind the 18th green. A convincing win!

The remaining matches continued and Tony Kennings was another to play the eighteenth hole. When he matched the bogey of Arthur Parkin on this great closing hole it was a win at last for the Australians. Shortly after Australia's final match was also a loss when Ian Read lost at the seventeenth to one of New Zealand's best performers - Murray Martin. The final result saw New Zealand very easy winners with 16 matches to 8. Although many matches were close it was a deserved win to the best team. Clearly the New Zealander's have found some great senior golfers and they will be even harder to beat when the competition is played in New Zealand in 2010.

This event is the pinnacle for Australian senior golfers and the organisation of the event was superb. Nothing was left undone and congratulations and thanks must go to the Sanctuary Cove Golf Club, the major sponsor Mulpha Sanctuary Cove, The Hyatt Regency Hotel, Srixon Golf who generously provided equipment for the Australian team, and most definitely the 24 Sanctuary Cove members who acted as caddies for both teams and for all other members who gave up their great golf course.

INDIVIDUAL AUSTRALIA	3	INDIVIDUAL NEW ZEALAND	9
Denis Dale		Ron Olivecrona	2 up
Rick Oliver		Barry Shannon	2 up
Ross Bockman		Hugh Harrison	1 up
Ross Percy	2&1	Eric Brodie
Norm Way		Ian Donaldson	1 up
Grahame MacDonald		Mike Leitch	1 up
Nigel Goodall		John Sanders	1 up
Brian Sams		Martin Webber	4&3
Tony Kennings	1 up	Arthur Parkin
John Beaumont		Rodney Barltrop	5&3
Ian Read		Murray Martin	2&1
Stefan Albinski	6&5	Phil Mosley

NEW ZEALAND 9 defeated AUSTRALIA 3

OVERALL RESULT: NEW ZEALAND 16 defeated AUSTRALIA 8