Auckland and North Harbour are the only unbeaten teams after four rounds of the Interprovincial golf championships at Paraparaumu Beach.
Auckland lead division one after a half against Tasman in the morning before being pushed to edge out Taranaki 3 and 2 in the afternoon.
Otago, with a win over Taranaki and a narrow loss to Waikato in the afternoon, are second on two wins, ahead of Manawatu Wanganui on a countback of games, but all eight teams in the section cannot be counted out.
Northland deserve mention when their number one Scott Wightman, originally ruled out with a stomach virus, was called to play when Brett Dorman wrenched his shoulder in the warm-up.
Wightman fired four birdies and an eagle on the way to his win over Bay of Plenty's Brad Kendall.
The 2005 champions North Harbour lead division two with two wins and a half.
Aorangi are second on two wins and 11 individual games, on countback from Wellington and Hawkes Bay with only winless Poverty Bay out of the running.
Wellington, who lost on the opening day, edged Aorangi 3-2 with world amateur number 26 Ben Campbell winning two of his last three holes to grab the key victory.
They went on to beat Poverty Bay easily in the afternoon to re-emerge as a threat.
Today's single round looms as pivotal with key clashes between Wellington and North Harbour, Auckland and Otago, Manawatu-Wanganui and Taranaki, Canterbury and Aorangi and Bay of Plenty and Tasman.
