Jennian Homes Waikato Winter Strokeplay

Lochiel, 10th July 2007

The popularity of the Waikato
Winter Strokeplay golf tournament to be conducted in 10 days time has caused the organisers to change its format from this year. Nearly 60 entries from players wanting to test themselves against the best on the best course layout in the Waikato, had to be returned in 2006 as the size of field that can be handled adequately given the limited availability of light and the inevitability of frosts limiting available hours of play, restricted the field to 80 players.

Lochiel Golf Club was one of the original clubs in the 60's and 70's , nearby Cambridge another, that had the vision that to develope New Zealand players for the burgeoning international professional tours, players had to be exposed to playing against the best in the country on a prepared championship course over 72 holes in tournament conditions.


This year the club was therefore anxious not to deny any players that wanted to test themselves that opportunity and not to return so many entries as last year.

Its solution, fully supported by David Moore, Waikato franchise holder of Jennian Homes, sponsor of the tournament for what will be the third year of an initial three year arrangement, was to start the tournament on Friday and play one round on each of the first two days with the maximum size of field accommodated on those two days possible. The response has been warmly received by players with nearly 100 already received, three days prior to the closing date for entries.

Entries close with mail received by the club 12th July and the first days draw will be published on the club's new website
www.lochielgolf.co.nz
as soon as complete.

The quality remains with the best talent available in the country heading to the Waikato next week. Naturally with the number of players taking the opportunity to play top amateur events in the northern hemisphere summer as a natural progression of
their dreams of a touring professional career, the tournament will miss some top players.

Last years winner James Gill is one currently playing in the United States with last year's NZ Amateur champion Andrew Green. Danny Lee and Samuel Shin are also in the United States while Troy Ropiha (New Plymouth) is testing himself in Britain.

But against this, the tournament has drawn several experienced top players returning from overseas and these include Sam Hunt who celebrates his 23rd birthday in a fortnight, concluding a masters degree at the University of Las Vegas, and top Bay of Plenty representative Mike Wilson, now senior course curator at Cape Kidnappers.

Aaron Leech, an international winner in the Aaron Baddeley World Junior Championships in Fiji, was firstly coached by Murray
Macklin at Whitby, then Mal Tongue out of Manor Park has
rejoined Macklin recently at the St Peters (Cambridge) School's Golf Academy and will play this tournament out of his new club, Lochiel.

For a complete list of entries received to date

Click here

A bevy of young players continue to use this tournament, followed by the Bay of Plenty Open the following weekend and
the Cambridge Classic in August to further their careers.

Two who have come out of the pack in recent months will be star attractions here. Nick Gillespie a 19 year old now out of Hasting's Bridge Pa course was an outstanding winner of the North Island Amateur on a tough, magnificent Belmont course in Wanganui at Easter setting a course record in the process. He showed he retains that form in shooting two two under par rounds on the long Hawkes Bay course at Flaxmere in playing alongside Doug Holloway and setting a course record 63 at Takapau.

But in this week, when the youngest player to have won an event on either USPGA tour, Australian 19 year old Jason Day, a player here in 2004, its another 16 year old that may draw much attention at Lochiel.

Joshua Munn, a product of the Manawatu and Palmerston North Golf clubs is yet another to be discovered and given solid grounding by professional Ross Morpeth who is now based in Hastings. Craig Perks and Grant Waite successful on the USPGA tour immediately come to mind, but another Florida based player Tim Wilkinson, starting to make his presence felt on the US nationwide tour is hoping to secure his USPGA tour card this year. The top New Zealand amateur, Wilkinson was another product of this wonderful commitment to junior golf development in the Manawatu - Wanganui region.

Wilkinson was one of those who made the new club, Golf City, the national club champion and dominant club in the late 90's and early 2000's. He worked with Morpeth at Hokowhitu but more significantly recently with Andre White, who was the professional at Palmerston North's Bridgewater course but has now taken the vacated spot at Manawatu Golf Club.

Munn, 16, came to national
prominence at Hamilton during the NZ Amateur Strokeplay there
in April when he was one of four to lead at the halfway stage. He went onto play in the Tauranga Open Pro - Am 72 hole, matching the sizzling hot scoring there with a seven birdie third round of 64.

But it was his return to Lochiel at the national interclub finals that stamps him as one of the players to emerge as a likely
winner of this event in 2007.

"Lochiel, I just found an awesome course that suited my game during the 36 holes there. I drive accurately which is required on that course, requiring placement off the tee and as putting is the strength of my game, the greens at Lochiel were the best I have played so far," the young Munn said. He shot a one over par 73 on his first look at the course backing up with the round of the afternoon, a four under par 68 in the national interclub final.
Munn with his coach White is modelling his career on that of his fellow manawatu "hero" Tim Wilkinson.

At Freyberg High School
he is undertaking business studies, which Wilkinson graduated in, out of Massey University, before settling into his professional career in the USA. As part of Munn's school curriculum, he has a gateway subject that enables him one day a week to gain business working experience and naturally his chosen career is golf. He works each Friday morning at the Manawatu club's
professional shop and is able to take part in the Friday afternoon club members competition to improve his playing experience.

In this years Waikato Winter Strokeplay there is one round of play on both Friday and Saturday with a snatch draw first round and a seeded round on Saturday, the lowest 55 plus ties scores for the first 36 holes will play the final 36 holes on Sunday.