National representative Riki Kauika teamed with Andrew Henare to share the New Zealand Foursomes golf title with Australians Mitchell Brown and Michael Sim in Palmerston North today.

The foursomes championship kicked off the New Zealand Amateur Championship at the Manawatu Golf Club.

Henare and Kauika, formerly from Levin and Wanganui respectively but now in Wellington, shot six-under par 138, birdied the final hole to grab a share of the title.

The young Kiwi pair fired six birdies in the morning four-under par 68 for a one shot lead over three chasing teams including Australians Brown and Sim, and the New Zealand representatives Doug Holloway (Hawkes Bay) and Mathew Holten (Waikato).

Brown and Sim pushed clear in the second round but faltered on the home nine including a bogey at the 13th and par at the short par-5 14th. They had a grand chance on the final hole after a superb drive but a poor approach from Brown proved costly.

They still fired a solid three-under par 69 as Sim pushed to repeat the victory he shared with Jarrod Lyle last year.

Holloway and Holten shared third place with Waikato's Mark Purser and Rotorua's Mark Smith one shot back on 139, five-under par. The Wellington pair of Ryan Leslie and Brenden Stuart were fifth with a two-under par 142.

The 72-hole New Zealand Strokeplay Championships begins tomorrow with the leading 32 players to fight out for the New Zealand Amateur title starting on Friday with a 36-hole final next Sunday.

Source - NZGA

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