Top tennis and hockey players star at NZ Mid-Amateurs

Jill Morgan and Brett Steven pose with their trophies following their wins at the New Zealand Mid-Amateur Championships in Northland.

A New Zealand tennis champion and a New Zealand hockey representative extended their sporting achievements when winning the men’s and women’s divisions of the New Zealand Mid-Amateur Championship at Mangahwai in Northland.
The men’s division was won by former tennis professional Brett Steven while the women’s division went to Jill Morgan who played top level hockey for New Zealand.
Steven was competing in his first Mid-Amateur and it came down to a matchplay-like finish with former North Harbour golf representative Ben Jujnovich.
Steven had trailed Jujnovich by two shots after two rounds and the Mangawhai course provided a tough assignment over its 5924m. But Steven scored a solid one-over par 73 in the third round to beat Jujnovich by two strokes and take out the Neil Woodbury Cup trophy.
Steven, who has a zero handicap, was even with the card in his opening first nine holes, but had a double bogey on the 11th and a bogey on the 13th. But there were also birdies on the par four 10th hole and the par three 17th. His scores for three rounds were 78, 72 and 73 for a total of 223.
The win was Steven’s best result as a golfer. His previous best was finishing second in his club championships at Titirangi in Auckland.
Steven, 46, was on the world tennis circuit for 11 years, having turned professional in 1988.
Top singles results included quarterfinals at the 1993 Australian Open, losing to Pete Sampras, and quarterfinals at the 1993 Canadian Masters and 1998 Rome Masters. He was a New Zealand representative at the 1996 Olympics in Georgia in the United States. His highest tennis world ranking was No 32.
Steven now works as a wealth adviser, assisting clients with individual financial portfolios and family trusts.
Jujnovich, from the Redwood Park club, held second with scores of 74, 74, 77 for a total of 225. Third on 228 was John Batley from Auckland with scores of 77, 72 and 79.
The women’s division provided a comfortable win for Morgan who played hockey for New Zealand in 1978 and from 1981-84.
Morgan had scores of 73, 75 and 77 for a three-round total of 225. That was a nine-over par for the par 72 course and eight strokes clear of her nearest rival.
Morgan’s win added to a successful golfing career. She is a stalwart of the current women’s Waikato masters team, was awarded the best-placed women’s Masters individual in 2006 and is the reigning New Zealand Women’s Senior champion.
In her wake at Mangawhai were many district representatives including eventual runner-up Debbie McCullum (Te Ngutu) who finished on 233, and a previous three-times Mid-Amateur winner Kathy Olsen (Maraenui) on 237.
The current New Zealand Mid-Amateur series, managed under the auspices of New Zealand Golf by PaR nz Golfing Holidays combines the previous NZLGA Men’s Mid Amateur and the WGNZ Women’s Individual Masters.
The 54-hole tournament recognises best net and stableford results also. Men’s best net was awarded to Greg Quinn from Mangawhai with the runner-up, and last year’s tournament runner-up, Thai Leng (Remuera). Raymond Everitt (Warkworth) took the best stableford prize with Steven Leahey from Druids Heath in the United Kingdom second.
Mangawhai members took the honours in the women’s net prize pool with Nadine Fitness best placed, followed by Sue Cox. Julie Gee (Riverside) won the best women’s stableford, with Sian Stevenson (Cambridge) second.