Bay of Plenty “Coastie” Richard Apanui will make his Tairāwhiti representative debut at the Freyberg Masters national interprovincial next week.
Apanui, who plays his golf at Tauranga course Ōmokoroa but has East Coast affiliations, has been named in a five-man team for the over-40s match-play tournament being held at Invercargill Golf Club from November 12-16.
The team consists of Anaru Reedy (a member of Electrinet Gisborne Park), David Solomann (Whitford Park/Waikohu), Apanui (Ōmokoroa/Te Puia Hot Springs), Dwayne Russell (Pātūtahi) and Peter Stewart (Park).
Tairāwhiti Golf Association president Reedy, Auckland-based Solomann and Stewart are returnees from last year’s team, who placed 14th out of 15 provinces overall after a 3½-1½ win over Southland in their final round.
Apanui played at the recent Poverty Bay Open where he made the championship 16, but will be remembered more for winning the tournament-ending nearest-to-the-pin competition.
Russell is back in the squad, having competed in previous Freyberg Masters.
Tairāwhiti face Otago in round one on Tuesday morning, followed by defending champions Auckland in the afternoon.
They play Taranaki and Wellington on Wednesday, Canterbury on Thursday, North Harbour and Manawatū-Whanganui on Friday, and Southland on Saturday afternoon.
