7 Mar 2011

Auckland run away with SBS Interprovincial golf

7:39 am on 7 March 2011

Auckland, on the back of a brilliant second day performance, have waltzed away with the honours in the SBS Invitational golf tournament in Invercargill.

Five shots behind Canterbury after the first day, Auckland claimed the title by a commanding 20 shots in the championship involving all 15 provincial districts over 72 holes of strokeplay.

The key to the northerners success was a stunning third round where Auckland posted 13-under par 275 for the four best counting scores.

Recent South Island strokeplay runner-up Sam An and Jonathon Ratcliffe both shot four-under 68s, international Ryan Fox fired 69 and the experienced Fraser Wilkin had a two-under 70.

This gave Auckland a massive margin going into the final round where a two-under par score was enough to get them home ahead of Manawatu-Wanganui and hosts Southland, who shot eight-under in the two rounds today.

Canterbury dropped back to fourth, 10 shots clear of Bay of Plenty in fifth.