North Harbour has underlined their Toro Women's Interprovincial title credentials with an impressive 4-1 win over in-form Bay of Plenty at the Whakatane Golf Club today.
It was a match Bay of Plenty No 1 Zoe Brake had been looking forward to for some time, and she almost delivered the fairytale result as she squared off with world No 1 Lydia Ko.
Twenty-year-old Brake came up with some moments of magic against wonder-teen Ko before losing the match one-up on the last hole.
The result was already determined before the final match, with Harbour's Kristin Farrell, Julitta Lam and Rebekah Brownlee securing the points, as the defending champions went top of division one.
With their dominant win, Harbour look favourites to be the first team to win back to back titles since the Bay of Plenty in 2006-07.
"I played really solid on the front nine and so did Zoe so we were having a good battle,'' the 14-year-old Ko said.
"I didn't start the back nine too well. I tried to stay strong mental wise and that helped a lot. Zoe is a good player she is a former New Zealand rep and I am happy to have won with that pressure.
"Everyone wants to beat me and with every win - whoever I am playing - it adds to my confidence for the rest of the week.''
Earlier in the day Hawkes Bay, Hawke's Bay were beaten soundly by Auckland and World No 2 Cecilia Cho, who continued her fine form to win 6 and 5 and 3 and 2 in her matches.
"I played well, the thing I was happy with was I was bogey free this morning,'' the 17-year-old said. "It is a pretty easy course. It is playing quite short so if you get the putts going it is birdie, birdie, birdie.
"I am looking forward to the semifinals and the final - I think we have a good team.''
Cho has only just returned home after winning her age group at the Aaron Baddeley Junior Invitational in China and losing in a playoff for the overall title.
"I enjoyed being back in China and I played well apart from the last day where I could have won the title but to win my age group was good.''
Round five results
Taranaki 2 Manawatu/Wanganui 3
Rochelle Keegan lost to Stephanie McKillop 4/3, Nicole Keegan bt Kelly Nicholas 2up, Melissa Hill lost to Emma Clayton 7/5, Celeste McLean bt Keita Durie 2/1, Holly Winter lost to Brydie Hodge 4/3.
Hawke's Bay PB 3 Waikato 2
Kate Chadwick bt Emily Perry 2up, Jaimie McIvor bt Chantelle Cassidy 4/2, Angela Jones lost to Sarah Bradley 2/1, Janie Field bt Hanna Seifert 1up, Lynne Roberts lost to Fai Tongdethsri 6/5.
North Harbour 3 1/2 Northland 1 1/2
Lydia Ko bt Kylie Jacoby 4/3, Kristin Farrell bt Racheal Williams 7/5, Julitta Lam bt Aroha Tito 1up, Faye-Amy Nickson halved with San Dangen, Rebekah Brownlee lost to Jo Wech 1up.
Aorangi 2 Southland 3
Catherine Knight bt Robyn Pullar 6/4, Catherine Bell bt Angela Gerken 1up, Ginny Bolderston lost to Olivia Frost 1up, Barbara O'Connell lost to Anne Osment 3/2, Jenny Kellahan lost to Jenna Gainford 2up.
Otago 2 Auckland 3
Laura Hoskin lost to Cecilia Cho 6/5, Jo Hicks-Beach bt Jesse Hamilton 5/4, Shani Arona bt Munchin Keh 3/2, Liz McRae lost to Wen Yung Keh 2/1, Susan Greig lost to Larissa Eruera 6/5.
Bay of Plenty 4 Wellington 1
Zoe Brake bt Julianne Alvarez 1up, Susan Lines bt Lucy Davis 3/2, Grace Senior bt Te Rongopai Clay 4/2, Tyla Kingi lost to Imogen Donnelly Lawrence 2/1, Shelly McElroy bt Barbara Parreno 1up.
Byes : Tasman & Canterbury
Round 6
Manawatu Wanganui 4 Tasman 1
Stephanie McKillop lost to Emily Stenhouse 1up, Kelly Nicholas bt Katrina Manaena 3/2, Emma Clayton bt Andrea Corbett 6/5, Keita Durie bt Clare Kydd 4/3, Brydie Hodge bt Emily Greenhough 2/1.
Auckland 4 1/2 Hawke's Bay 1/2
Cecilia Cho bt Kate Chadwick 3/2, Munchin Keh halved with Jamie McIvor, Wen Yung Keh bt Angela Jones 7/5, Larissa Eruera bt Janie Field 5/4, Celyn Khoo bt Lynne Roberts 9/8.
Wellington 3 1/2 Northland 1 1/2
Julianne Alvarez bt Kylie Jacoby 6/5, Lucy Davis bt Rachael Williams 4/3, Te Rongopai Clay bt Aroha Tito 1 up, Imogen Donnelly Lawrence halved with Sam Dangen, Barbara Parreno lost to Jo Wech 1 up.
Canterbury 3 Aorangi 2
Elisha Crosbie bt Catherine Knight 3/2, Jess Guenzerodt lost to Catherine Bell 2/1, Georgia Wayman lost to Ginny Bolderston 2/1, Sylvie Williams bt Jenny Kellahan 5/4, Jocelyn Blackmore bt Bev Green 6/5.
Waikato 5 Otago 0
Emily Perry bt Laura Hoskin 1up, Chantelle Cassidy bt Jo Hicks-Beach 6/5, Sarah Bradley bt Shani Arona 3/2, Hanna Seifert bt Liz McRae 4/3, Fai Tongdethsri bt Susan Greig 2up.
North Harbour 4 Bay of Plenty 1
Lydia Ko bt Zoe Brake 1up, Kristine Farrell bt Susan Lines 2up, Julitta Lam bt Grace Senior 3/2, Faye-Amy Nickson lost to Tyla Kingi 5/4, Rebekah Brownlee bt Shelly McElroy 6/5.
2011 TORO New Zealand Women's Interprovincial
Division One
Points / Games / District / * BYE
10 (20) North Harbour *
8 (16.5) Bay of Plenty *
8 (16) Wellington *
4 (15) Manawatu Wanganui
4 (12) Northland *
2 (7.5) Taranaki *
0 (3.5) Tasman *
Division Two
10 (20.5) Auckland *
8 (18.5) Waikato *
6 (12) Hawkes Bay PB *
4 (12) Canterbury *
4 (8) Southland *
3 (12) Otago *
1 (7.5) Aorangi
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