NEWS

North Harbour Professional, James Hydes [Pictured] has shot up the 2024 OOM Leaderboard with four strong Pro Ams in the Central North Island over the last week. The Pro Am series moved to Palmerston North, the Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa District for the BDL Palmerston North Pro Am on the 16th, the Marton Pro Am on the 17th, the Parehua Resort Paraparaumu Beach Pro Am on the 18th and the Rothbury Insurance Masterton Pro Am on the 19th of January.

The series kicked off with Te Puke professional, James Tauariki starting off his campaign in New Zealand with an impressive -7 65 at the Palmerston North Golf Club to win by 1 over James Hydes. Tauariki had a colorful scorecard, starting on the 6th Hole, rattled off 8 Birdies and an Eagle 2 on the 18th Hole (His 13th of the day) amongst a Bogey and a Double Bogey to rocket to his -7 score with five holes to play however couldn't pick up any more shots after paring the 1st, 2nd and 3rd holes before trading a birdie and a bogey on his last hole of the day. Behind him, James Hydes had four birdies and an eagle for his bogey-free 66 to kick off what was a solid four events.

The next day at the Marton Pro Am, the tight layout is always a favourite amongst professionals and always regarded as one of the best country/rural courses in New Zealand. Always demanding consistent golf, the course was set up perfectly for James Hydes as he fired off another impressive -6 66 with 7 birdies and one bogey. He won by one over former Manawatu/Wanganui Interprovincial Winner and now Stage 1 Trainee, Tara Raj in her first event as a professional firing a -5 67 with no bogeys.

On the 18^th of January, the professionals moved an hour and a half down State Highway One to the sunny Kapiti Coast, to take on the always storied Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club, playing the same set up all the professionals will see on the 14^th – 17^th of March for the NZ Strokeplay, Epson Tour player from Japan, Marina Ito shot the women's course record -7 64 to win by one over the ever consistent James Hydes who shot another -6 round of 65 in the Par 71 layout. Marina’s score included a total of six birdies and an eagle and shows some great form leading into an international campaign for the Japanese player as she tries to gain status on the LPGA Tour via the Epson Tour.

On the 19^th all the players went across the Rimutaka’s for the Rothbury Insurance Masterton Pro Am, replacing the old Masterton/Eketahuna Pro Am over two days, 35 Professionals competed at the Wairarapa club whom has been the breeding ground of some of NZ’s best professional golfers including Sir Bob Charles, Kerry Mountcastle, Ben Campbell & Harry Bateman. The now 18 Hole event saw a log jammed leaderboard with 19 players shooting under par and seeing our first co-winners of the year, with Mason Lee and Gareth Paddison both shooting rounds of 66 -5 around the Par 71 layout. Mason’s round was bogey free and starting on the 6^th Hole got to his -5 total early, however couldn’t scrape another birdie paring Holes 1 – 5 to finish off his round. Meanwhile Gareth fired off six birdies and a bogey to share another title after sharing two Pro Am titles in 2023. Behind the two Auckland golfers were rookie Tour Pro, Jerry Song, Hasting Golf Club Head Professional Brett Allan, 2^nd year Tour Pro Bailey Smith, Queenstown Golf Club Head Professional Quinton Thompson and Palmerston North Pro Am winner, James Tauariki whom all had rounds of -4 67.

James Hydes could only muster a -2 69 around Masterton to break his string of Top 2 finishes to come 10^th, however has now shot up the Order of Merit to try claim a New Zealand Open start. Currently James is $600 behind Cardinal Logistics Whitford Park Pro Am winner Jake Meenhorst for the New Zealand Open start available for the highest ranked domestic professional up until next weeks CE&R Electrical & Holmes Construction Martinborough Pro Am on the 1^st of February.

The series takes a week off, before returning to the bottom of the North Island for the Milford Asset Management Boulcott’s Farm Pro Am and the Martinborough Pro Am on the 31^st of January and 1^st of February.