Blair Minton: Canterbury Golf CEO on the Woodward Cup Interclub Men’s Competition

The prestigious and highly sought-after Woodward Cup Interclub Men’s Competition kicks off this weekend at the Harewood Golf Club. 

Canterbury Golf CEO Blair Minton joined Lesley Murdoch, in association with Elmwood Trading Company, to give an update on the teams and an insight into who to keep an eye out for in 2025. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
How many US talks, he'd be. It is twenty four
away from nine o'clock on a fine and frosty day.
Let's go to Cannary Golf Splaarmnton because the Woodward Cup
starts tomorrow out at Clearwater. I think herewood we'll get
that definitely confirmed differently at Hereward blea good morning. That's
right here.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
What isn't it want to leave the year through? Well, yes,
you're it's Hereward Golf Club tomorrow for the stars of
the world Would.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Cup and that is the premiere Mens Into Club competition.
So it is so keenly for as we saw last year, right.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yes, absolutely, it's so. It's been going since nineteen thirty nine,
so you have one of the longer running competitions that
we have. And now and I set up and you
see you last year with an absolute ripper final came
down to the final green effectively at Dave and Dale
there with their final stay with Sam McGill. Yeah, thinking
I think around a thirty foot a clutch put to

(00:52):
Harves's game to send them into some old scenes and
it was it was clear Waters first victory. So yeah,
quite an event last year too. To carry on from
I'm really excited for Tim as we fight.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
So how do they look this year clear Water?

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, very strong again, very strong agin They've got two
Dolphin his own National Academy members in their squad with
Cooper Moore and Brodie Ferguson as well, so it's pretty
strong in the huge space as well, and a couple
of strong Masters players alongside that as well. So and
of course the likes of of Sam McGill and the
rest of it. So there, Yeah, they're very strong in
they'll be I'll be hard to tip, but there's some

(01:27):
several other strong teams as well.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Will Cooper more be there the whole campaign, not.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
The whole campaign, he'll be there for so silted rounds.
That works around for the schedule and as we know
he's he's kind of ever and around the world and
in New Zealand as well for different events, so he'll
be there when he can. But yeah, he definitely gets
the three or four rounds and we've working pretty closely
with his team manager around that.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, I know that people say that he's busier than
a full time professional.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yes, one of those kind of professional amateurs. We like
to call it the everywhere missing the game, so yeah,
we keppy to see him play when he's available.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
So that's clearwater. Who else catches your eye?

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, the Timbilton squads you're pretty eye catching as well.
Just looking through the squad yesterday, of the listed twelve players,
about ten of them have got intervirimental experience for representative
experience for either the Canbary or a Ring or OTAGO team,
so they've got some real depth from there, a lot
of names to be thinking obvious've also edited Phil Vuguard,

(02:24):
who's an OTAGO representative players who's now returned across Church
joined Templeton, So yeah, they've got a strong squad. I
think they'll be a real contender. Looking through again, Russeley
is also very strong, so they were the team beat
in the final last year. But they've got some key
players and the likes of Mike Burki and in Winter
and a few others and a couple of young guns

(02:45):
that they've brought through now as well, so I'm sure
they'll be flavoring themselves. And then you've got a few
other strong conteamers the likes of christ Church and Pegasus
and potentially some dark authors like here is obviously a
hosting round one.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
So you look at teams like why Marie Beach because
they got promoted, didn't.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
They They actually they got voted in twenty twenty three.
They stayed up last year in a promotion relegation match
that was their first year and Woody and last year
and they finished and the film spot and had to
have a one off machigin Savondale and miniged to hold
on there to retain their stairs. So yeah, they'll be
looking to I guess take the learning from twenty twenty
four and hopefully have a bit of year in twenty

(03:25):
twenty five. Ye, very strong competition.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
So the Woodwood capet starts tomorrow. How long? How many
weeks is it?

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yes, We've got ten rounds of a guast round robin
play that spread out over a couple of months and
then that dolminates in our finals day in November, which
is at a new different venue every years, actually going
to be at McLean's Island this year the Finals Day
and that sees the semi finals and finals will played
the same day alongside the other Premier men's competition sort

(03:53):
of two threes and fours as they all come together
for a cracker day at the end.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
Oh fantastic, we love we love the woodwood capt terrific.
Now what else is happening in a Kenary Golf office.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Yep, we're coing into a busy bitch of the years,
as was the inter Club and root Starts, but in
a couple of weeks have also got our annual Awards evening,
which is also a really highlight feature event on our calendar.
It's a unique event that Canary Golf delivers. So it's
a really cool special evenings on the sefteenth of August
at christ Rich Golf Club. And now that evening we
recognize obviously leading players, but also a whole array of

(04:30):
other capacities as well, So we have Volunteers of the Year,
Administrators of the Year, Greenkeepers of the Year, Service awards,
promising players as well. So it's a really special night
to celebrate all corners of the game. And who make
that special We've got some some co entertainment as well.
We've got former Golf broth podcaster from The Golf Show

(04:50):
Mark Leichman as their MZ this year as well, and
our PGA Coach of the yearnne E Kenary Boys also
he speakers, So yeah, We're really excited about that evening
up in a couple of weeks, and the teoths are
available via Nicking the Golf webside for those who are
interested in that as well.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Fantastic because we just know that golf was on a roll.
I just meant to ask before in terms of club golf,
when does the Pollop Cup start?

Speaker 2 (05:12):
I looked up starts next week, so next Sunday. So yeah,
so we're going to be doing some hype around there
over the next week as well, releasing those squads and
they'll be They've kicking off next next Sunday on the
on the teenth of August. So really excited about that
one too.

Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah, so much going on. How do you keep your
head around it all all the different strands.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
Yeah, it's a pretty fast calendar, but yeah, like I said,
it's an exciting time as well. So it's a lot
of community into club going on as well. So there'll
be a point in a couple of weeks time. I
think we dear mark the twenty first September, we should
have a about five different inter club competitions in about
four hundred plus players, all happening on the same Sunday
across all corners of the Canabury region from north to

(05:51):
central and intro. So yeah, there's a bit going on.
It's an exciting time, but it's you know, it's obviously
showcases how how strong lab and community into clubbers right now.
So yeah, winding into the summer perio where it's only
going to do them again.

Speaker 1 (06:06):
I don't know if I've asked you this before, Blaamington,
but do you still play just casually just to just
to kell your player myself?

Speaker 2 (06:13):
But yeah, it leaves limits of time when you're kind
of run the game unfortunately, but I still enjoy it
and try and get out when we came with the
staffs as well.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
What's your handicap.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
For the probably twenties at the moment. It's been a
little bit laking for a while, but yeah, just stiek
as your player myself.

Speaker 1 (06:31):
Very good And I always have to ask have you
ever slotted a hole on one?

Speaker 2 (06:36):
No, it's not something I've achieved unfortunately. A couple of
kind of close ones and twos and whatnot, but enough
I haven't kind of got a bit of loosers on
one yet.

Speaker 1 (06:44):
So on the on the list, oh well, for so
many people as well, but doesn't stop people from trying right.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
No, absolutely, And that's the nature of the game, isn't it.
The one good shot keeps you going and brings you
back next week, and it's what you remember to spot
the other poor shots in your round. So the listen
carrot still there.

Speaker 1 (07:02):
Absolutely well Tomorrow Round one of the Woodward Cup twenty
twenty five at the Herewood Golf Club, nine thirty start
Walkoden Frosty. It'll be all on and Blaeminton. Thanks so
much for bringing us up to date with everything golf.
We really appreciate it all the best. Thanks, thank you,
and of course our Golfing Report's brought to you by
the fantastic team at the Onward Trading Company.

Speaker 2 (07:24):
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Speaker 1 (07:28):
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