New Zealand announces Eisenhower Trophy Team

BY iseekgolf.com | Amateur Golf Tour | 2004 World Amateur Team Championships | General | 06 Sep 2004

New Zealand will send its youngest ever team to next month’s Eisenhower Trophy World Teams Championship Puerto Rico.

The three-strong team consists of teenagers Kevin Chun (Auckland), Riki Kauika (Wanganui) and Josh Geary (Tauranga), after selectors confirmed the trio today.

It is the first time in memory that New Zealand Golf has selected a side consisting entirely of teenage players with Geary and Kauika 19 and Chun 18 years.

The trio have been the form amateurs in the country over the past 12 months, forcing their way into contention after the defection of US-based Brad heaven to the professional ranks and the withdrawal of Brad Iles after his freak accident in the United States.

“It’s fair to say that probably three or four months ago these three players were fighting it out for the third spot in the team. Having said that they are very talented young players who have proved that they can shoot low numbers in big events,” New Zealand Golf High Performance Manager Graeme Scott said.

“It is an exciting opportunity for the players and for the future and at the same time it will present a new level of challenges. In view of their general lack of overseas experience at this calibre of golf, the expectation on the team to take out a top spot will be lower than we might have had a few months ago.

“But we are confident that the three players will acquit themselves well, they have an incredible desire to do well and they will hugely benefit from this experience.”

Chun and Kauika, both former national junior representatives, have both performed strongly both at home and abroad this year. Chun (Titirangi) won the Tasmania Amateur Open, was second in the North Island Amateur and played consistently on a number of international appearances this year in Australia, Malaysia and Japan, where he competed in the World Junior Championships.

Kauika (Manor Park) is the current South Island Amateur champion, shared second at the New Zealand Strokeplay and also has had considerable experience in Malaysia, Australia and Japan.

Geary has battled his way into the cream of New Zealand’s elite amateur golf with some outstanding performances in domestic events this year. He started with a victory in the North Island Amateur in Hamilton, was second in the first trial behind Australian David Lutterus, won the second at the Bay of Plenty open, fourth in the third at the Auckland Strokeplay and streeted the field to win the final trial at the Waikato Strokeplay at the weekend.

He enjoyed a return to the St Andrews course to scorch his way to a new tournament low of 15-under par for his four rounds.

In the end he comprehensively beat off the major challengers including Waikato’s Brad Shilton, the sole remaining Kiwi Amateur from the last Eisenhower campaign, Mark Purser (Waikato), another talented young player and Hawke’s Bay golfer Doug Holloway, who has produced some good performances internationally.

The team will get together for two days in the Hawkes Bay under new performance coach Brian Doyle, before Geary heads to the Singapore Open where he will represent New Zealand along with Purser.

He will join Chun and Kauika on the Sunshine Coast in Australia on 19th September for a five-day camp based at the Hyatt Regency Coolum and will also play at Club Pelican, with both generously supporting the Kiwi build up. This will enable them to practice and play on the Bermuda grass courses they will find in South America, with Club Pelican a Greg Norman design, as is one of the courses in Puerto Rico.

“We want to give the players the best possible chance to come to grips with this different type of grass they will experience in Puerto Rico. We could not have put this team camp together without the fantastic support from both clubs in Australia.”

The New Zealand team to contest the Eisenhower Trophy World Teams Championship at Puerto Rico from 28-31 October at the Rio Mar Beach Resort & Golf Club is:
Kevin Chun (Auckland), Josh Geary (Bay of Plenty), Riki Kauika (Wanganui).

Performance Coach: Brian Doyle (Hawkes Bay)
Manager: Terry Pulman (Auckland).

Source – NZGA