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New Zealand opened strong and hung on to retain the Sanctuary Cove Trophy against Australia last week.
For the sixth time in nine contests, the Kiwis senior team proved too good for Australia, this time at the picturesque Royal Wellington Golf Club.
A commanding 5-1 lead after the opening fourball contests was slowly eroded by the slow-starting Aussies. But in the end, the margin proved too much and the trophy remained on the east side of the Tasman yet again.
The traditional opening morning foursomes – six pairs representing each country – was dominated by the home team with only John Banting and David Limbach saluting for the Aussies.
The Australians knew they had to lift and they did with a much improved team performance in the afternoon fourball matches with the session halved and the Kiwis leading 8-4 with singles to play.
Limbach and Banting remained undefeated, each match in a nail-biting finish, with the former, in particular, outstanding throughout the day.
With 12 singles matches on the second day, the Aussies had to start well to stay in the hunt.
And the top order did exactly that with 4.5 points scored from the first five games with Mark Pearson, Steve Toyne, Barry Tippett and Lester Peterson all winners and Stefan Albinski square in his match against Kiwi veteran Rodney Barltrop.
But just as Australia drew level, the Kiwis dug deep and won the next three matches with losses to Banting and Limbach, who were unable to rediscover their opening-day touch, and Gordon Claney who lost a tense match at the final hole after fighthing back from 5-down.
Wins to Peter Hannah and Greg Rhodes and a half-point from Ian Frost tightened the leaderboard again, but in the final analysis a 7-5 singles win wasn’t quite enough for the visitors.
New Zealand’s 13-11 overall victory replicated the 2015 scoreline – a trend the Aussies will be desperate to reverse when the countries next meet at Sanctuary Cove Golf Club in Queensland next year.
Full results:
|
Australia v New Zealand Foursomes |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Australia |
Result |
New Zealand |
Result |
|
|
1 |
John Banting & David Limbach |
1up |
Tony Treen & John Batley |
– |
|
2 |
Steve Toyne & Peter Hannah |
– |
Michael Barltrop & Brent Paterson |
3&2 |
|
3 |
Stefan Albinski & Mark Pearson |
– |
Rodney Barltrop & Frank Borren |
3&2 |
|
4 |
Ian Frost & Barry Tippett |
– |
John Sanders & Arthur Parkin |
3&2 |
|
5 |
Lester Peterson & Ian McPherson |
– |
Murray Martin & Martin Webber |
1up |
|
6 |
Greg Rhodes & Gordon Claney |
– |
Reg Fleet & Andrew McKechnie |
2&1 |
|
1 |
5 |
|||
|
Australia v New Zealand Fourballs |
||||
|
Australia |
Result |
New Zealand |
Result |
|
|
1 |
John Banting & David Limbach |
1up |
Michael Barltrop & Brent Paterson |
– |
|
2 |
Steve Toyne & Peter Hannah |
– |
John Batley & Tony Treen |
5&4 |
|
3 |
Stefan Albinski & Mark Pearson |
– |
Martin Webber & Frank Borren |
5&4 |
|
4 |
Ian Frost & Barry Tippett |
– |
Andrew McKechnie & Arthur Parkin |
3&2 |
|
5 |
Lester Peterson & Ian McPherson |
2&1 |
Rodney Barltrop & John Sanders |
– |
|
6 |
Greg Rhodes & Gordon Claney |
1up |
Reg Fleet & Murray Martin |
– |
|
3 |
3 |
|||
|
Australia v New Zealand Singles |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Australia |
Result |
New Zealand |
Result |
|
|
1. |
Mark Pearson |
3&2 |
John Batley |
|
|
2. |
Steve Toyne |
2&1 |
Tony Treen |
|
|
3. |
Stefan Albinski |
Sq |
Rodney Barltrop |
Sq |
|
4. |
Barry Tippett |
3&2 |
Arthur Parkin |
|
|
5. |
Lester Peterson |
2&1 |
Reg Fleet |
|
|
6. |
David Limbach |
John Sanders |
6&5 |
|
|
7. |
Gordon Claney |
Michael Barltrop |
1up |
|
|
8. |
John Banting |
Martin Webber |
5&4 |
|
|
9. |
Peter Hannah |
1up |
Murray Martin |
|
|
10. |
Ian McPherson |
Frank Borren |
4&3 |
|
|
11. |
Greg Rhodes |
1up |
Andrew McKechnie |
|
|
12. |
Ian Frost |
Sq |
Brent Patterson |
Sq |
|
7 |
5 |
|||
|
AUSTRALIA |
11 |
NEW ZEALAND |
13 |
|