Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy tees off in Auckland
IN: News | World Amateur Mens | Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy (2006) | Preview | 25 Apr 2006
The Anzac spirit will be called on to guide the fortunes of the Asia Pacific golf team against Europe starting in Auckland tomorrow (Wednesday).
Roger Brennand, the man who guided New Zealand to their 1992 Eisenhower Trophy win, is Captain of the Asian Pacific team for the Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy at Auckland Golf Club. He has the difficult job to mould players from different cultures and languages to take on the cream from Europe over the next three days at Middlemore.
He will no doubt look to Australasians Josh Geary, Mark Purser, Andrew Dodt and Won Joon Lee for their knowledge of Kiwi conditions in the fifth Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy.
It has drawn 24 players are from 18 different nations for the Ryder Cup format that features some of the world's best amateurs with the current national amateur champions of 14 countries taking part.
It is the biggest amateur golf event in this country since the Nomura Cup (Asia Pacific Teams) in 1995 and the Eisenhower Trophy (World Championship) in 1990.
The Asia Pacific team, that includes Tauranga's Geary and Hamilton's Purser, are a youthful combination with an average age of only 18 years. They possess some outstanding young talent including China's Mu Hu, 16, and India's Ajeetesh Sandhu, 17, who are coached at the exclusive Leadbetter Academy in Florida.
Europe has a more experienced line-up and play a number of team matchplay events and with and against eachother on a regular basis.
They will look to the experience of 46-year-old Gary Wolstenholme (England) and 37-year-old Nigel Edwards (Wales). They have a wealth of experience in Walker Cup (and Ireland vs USA) and the St Andrews Trophy against Europe.
Wolstenholme is one of the best known amateurs in the world having been on six Walker Cup teams, and scored the most Walker Cup points (bypassing Sir Michael Bonallack). The two-time English Amateur Champion is competing in his fourth Bonallack Trophy.
"I still get tremendous satisfaction from this game and playing it at the highest level. I am very competitive still and as long as that's the case and my form holds, I will keep playing," Wolstenholme said.
"This is what we play for – to be able to travel the world and play against the best. This is hard work – we will be up at 5am each day and will be working very hard this week."
He praised the condition of the rain-soaked Middlemore course and the work of the greenkeepers to ready it for this contest.
"I feel it is going to be extremely close. The damp conditions mean it is likely to favour the longer hitters. There are going to be a lot of birdies made out here. For that reason alone it is going to make for some exciting play for spectators and an exciting challenge for the players."
Wolstenholme believes golf fans will see some of the best young golfing talent in the world and singled out the likes of England's exciting Oliver Fisher, Italian champion Pedro Oriol and Australia's Won Joon Lee.
"There's half a dozen in the Asia Pacific team that I've not seen but no doubt among this group with be several players who go on to become great players."
Edwards, who works for the Welch Golf Union, comes to New Zealand in good form, having won the South African Amateur as well as a major amateur event in Europe.
The Europe contingent also includes Dutchman Joost Luiten the current Spanish and German champion, Irish champion Rory McIlroy, Swiss winner Damian Ulrich and current European Amateur winner Marius Thorp (Norway).
There are five matches of fourball in the morning and foursomes in the afternoon Wednesday and Thursday and 12 matches of singles on Friday with play starting at 8am each day.
Source - NZGA
Photo - Anthony Powter
