The 2024 edition of the historic Woodward Cup competition, which was first contested in 1938, is back for another season in what we expect to be another competitive year with player movement and a new team in the division.
Defending champions Christchurch Golf who wrestled back the title against two-time defending champions Templeton in 2023 will be looking to back that year up and defend the trophy. On paper, their squad looks relatively similar to last season with the likes of Canterbury Reps Reid Hilton, Tom Lee, and Tim Leonard all listed and have proven match-play pedigree. One squad addition is Canterbury Masters Rep Aaron Forsyth having switched from Waitikiri this season who will add some experience alongside the ever-present Jason Sincock. With potential player injury and travel throughout the season the Shirley men will hope the squad depth will keep they in the hunt throughout the 9-rounds of round-robin play.
Hunting them this season will no doubt be the strong squad of Clearwater, who after falling short at the last two finals days will be looking to clinch the club’s first ever Woodward Cup victory this season. Led by one of the region’s leading players Cooper Moore alongside the quality of Sam McGill and ex-pro Oscar Cadenhead they have some undoubted scoring power at their disposal. They have however lost former Canterbury-rep Dominic Brettkelly in the off season with Dominic having recently turned professional. This hole has been filled somewhat though with the addition of Brodie Ferguson who is a current Taranaki Golf representative player who has recently moved down to Christchurch. With other notable players in their squad list, the men from Clearwater Avenue will have high hopes of getting the job done in 2024.
Defeated finalists in 2023 Templeton have also had some player movement but have the core of their stable still available with the quality of Nick Franzmann, Ryan Bellamy, Tom Wilson, Dan Laughton, and David Zohrab all ready to go. They have also added in big-hitting Cameron Grant for some extra firepower to round off a team which will no doubt be a hard team to beat each week.
Perhaps the surprise team of 2023 Harewood Golf Club have a very familiar squad with their key names including Josh Smith, James Howard, and the familiar Scott Manyweathers. They will be hoping for a similar performance to last season where they claimed their fair share of scalps and pushed Christchurch all the way in last year’s semi-final.
The newcomers to the division this year is Waimairi Beach Golf Club having gained promotion by defeating last season’s bottom place team Avondale in the one-off promotion/relegation match last November. The seaside men will have high motivation to ensure their survival this season and perhaps even push for higher honors. The majority of their squad has been retained from their Blank Cup campaign with the likes of Marcel Boet, Taylor Reid, and Lachie Mackay all looking to test themselves at the top interclub level this season. Youngster Etienne Collier will also make his Woodward Cup debut for Waimairi this season and will be looking to prove his skills against his likely more mature opponents.
Some other clubs which will no doubt fancy their chances of making the Finals Day this season include Russley and Pegasus. Russley have had a bit of a shake up with their squad welcoming in a couple of new players, in former Canterbury Rep Mike Toeke and former Waikato Rep Adam Winter, both players with plenty of match-play experience which will add some quality to the squad. They have also promoted some of the club’s youth players with Alfie Bell listed fresh of his 4BBB title. Pegasus also have a squad with plenty of players that if they hit their form could challenge anyone. They will be led by Canterbury-rep Yuki Miya who has bags of potential and will fancy his chances against most opponents. He will be complimented by the likes of the experienced Dean Harvey, Shaun Allan, and Peter Brinsdon adding some punch to their line up. One player to look out for in this squad this season may be recently arrived Japanese player Kan Katano, although only 15 years of age his recent rounds have shown his ability to shoot very low, with the time now to see if he can bring this ability to the match-play format.
Bottle Lake’s squad includes a few of their regulars at this level including the likes of Andrew Green, Aaron Neil, and Jed Robertson. One to watch in their squad this year may be youngster Mitchell Redmayne who is fresh off a stellar Blank Cup season in 2023 where he received the individual salver for his performances. Neighbours Waitikiri have welcomed back Canterbury Stroke Play Masters champion Kieran Sharvin to their line up, who alongside the likes of Woo Bong Kim and Kris O’Neil will likely be at the top of the order. Finally, Weedons Country Club will be looking to fly the flag proudly as the only Canterbury Central club representative. They once again have a similar line up with Jonny Stieller, the Nightingale brothers, and Cameron Coombes all fronting again. They also have in their ranks Drew Butcher who has shown in recent events his improved scoring capabilities so a team not to write off too easily.
Once again the competition is stacked with the best match-play amateurs of not only the Canterbury region but also representative players from across the South Island Districts highlighting the pull of this competition for the best players to compete. We look forward to watching it all play out when the teams all meet for round 1 at Pegasus Golf Club on August 4th.
To view the full season draw and follow the results see - HERE.
