November 10, 2024 • 9 mins
The Wellington men's masters golfers are counting down to the 2024 Freyberg Masters tournament at the Invercargill golf club.
Auckland won the title at Poverty Bay last year, which followed Wellington's consecutive titles in 2021 and 2022.
Adam Cooper spoke to captain EJ Nicholson and team manager Steve Weir to preview Wellington's campaign.
The tournament starts at the Otatara course on Tuesday, and runs through until Saturday.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Newstalk's that be on the Allsport Breakfast right time for
our weekly golf slot. This week we focus on the
successful Wellington Men's Masters team who are heading down to
the Freiburg Masters Nationals at in Viicago on the Altatata course.
It starts Tuesday and runs through the course of the week. Wellington,
of course winners in twenty twenty one and twenty twenty two,
so they're looking to reclaim.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
The title this year.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
As always on a Saturday morning, here Steve where is
joint and joining us. So Steve is managing at the
Wellington Masters team again this year. Alongside him with us
this morning is longtime team at Captain E. J.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Nicholson. Morning to both of you guys. Steve, we'll start with.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
You, and this is definitely one of the high performing
areas at Wellington Golf, isn't it, the Men's Masters program.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yeah, certainly. In the last eight years the team's been
very consistent and successful. As you say, placed no worse
than Sports and had placed twice Sports third, second and
through national titles in that period. So along with Auckland
who won three titles and both and he won a
couple with three dominant teams, but certainly from a content
point of view on a record to be proud of
(01:02):
that we're willing to conserve.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Yeah, exactly, EJ will bring you when you've been the
captain of the Master's team since twenty sixteen, and that
consistency on the course in terms of results, obviously a
couple of titles, but a whole string of top four
positionings over the last few years. How much is the
consistency of personnel contributed to the consistency of results.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
That makes a huge difference because obviously with having consistency
with people going year and year out, you obviously get
that experience I mean of that you can't sort of
buy experience. So having that experience of playing in those
big moments and those big matches years pretty crucial.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
And EJ especially the crossover with the main Wellington inter
club team as well. I guess just having you guys
playing golf together more often than maybe some other Masters
teams do, does that help as well?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Yeah, for sure, Like it's always good being able to
play with your mate and obviously paying with your mates,
it's that's them dynamic going and having a better dynamic
and other teams that go down to these into provincial
event year and year out. It makes a big difference
when you know who you're playing with, you know how
(02:10):
they act, you know how you can support them in
many ways.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Great Steve, you've obviously got the drawer outs, you know
who you'll be playing to start with over the first
few rounds of the competition from Tuesday. Do you do
much from a manager's perspective? Do you do much preparation
on on who's on the lists for the other teams
or is a lot of it just about self preparation
at this point.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, it's a mix of both that. Certainly we mainly
look at whose name for the problems each year, obviously
being the over forty space, those who just turned forty
and coming to the teams, it's been the anticipator as
to who they might be and what the teams look like.
But certainly early hands up on that guide some of
our tactics also about being playing orders the year. We
(02:53):
definitely got an eye on the other fourteen provinces.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, ej, what have you made of the drawer?
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I see you know the likes of Auckland, Hawks Bay
right at the end there looks to be a little
bit of a tough finish, but yeah, just your overall
thoughts on how you'll negotiate things from Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Yeah, so in Timson draw, obviously at the beginning of
the week, I wouldn't say we have any easy teams,
but that back end of the week is where the
crunch time will already happen. We're up against some opponents
and probably the teams, to be honest, that will be
a top of the ladder on the end of the week.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, and EJ.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
From a player's perspective, how do you make sure you're
peaking consistently right through the course of the week.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Well, it's a very tough challenge because I'm obviously playing
eight rounds of golf. Is always going to be at
least one round or moments within a round where you
don't play particularly well. Because man, as any sports person
can attest to, like to try to play up to
the highest level for that amount of time and over
(03:53):
that amount of period is quite difficult.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Great, and Steve tell us about the overall squad that's
been selected for this some different names in the mix
than what we might have seen him previous years.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yeah, certainly, EJ. And then in a couple of years
following EJ's conclusion in that team, John Kine and Matt
Peg have been regular fixtures in the team, and certainly
the other three are all newish to the space. Steve
Thompson out of Shandon has been a reserve once before,
has Mark Badden had a bullcot in a reserve and
John Potts the actual reserve's time out of Royal Wellington
(04:28):
formally played soft off for South Africa. So those played
at a high level are all new in this space.
But that's exciting too because they're all just forty something
chaps and you know, slightly younger legs. But it'll be
a baptism of fire. But it's exciting yet.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, Aj is skipper, how do you integrate the new
guys into the actual squad? And I've obviously been on
the periphery for a weabit.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Yeah, it's obviously always good to have fresh racers that
are come in because they bring fresh ideas to both
our practice rounds before we actually played within the competition,
and then they bring a fresh perspective around what we
can do within those competition rounds. In terms of, like
I said before, the experience with three of us myself,
(05:10):
John O and Matt. We can give them off exists
and tricks around what to expect and how to deal
with that pressure comes during the week.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah, great, Aj.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Obviously the last few years some of the main rivals
have been the likes of Aucklands, they have plenty Hawks Bay.
Are you expecting them to be the similar threats again
this year? I know you said not every match or
every match is going to be a difficult one, but
are they sort of that the stronghold teams still this year?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Do you think?
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:34):
For sure.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Obviously Auckland made Plenty are always near the top, and
I mean we expect hard matches against them and Hawks Bay. Definitely,
within the last couple of years, I've risen to the top.
They've got some players that have come into that forty
plus year space that used to be exprovincial players that
have really contributed to their team. So we always expect
a close battle, especially with Hawks Bay because they're our
(05:58):
neighbors and they always like to try to better.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
And what's been your highlights or what moment you've been
most proud of as Caps and you've obviously had the
two Masters titles. I'm sure that'll be high up on
the list. But overall, what's you know, what's been the
most enjoyable part of your captaincy and nearly a decade now, To.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Be honest, it's probably the streak that we had within
sort of the two to three year period where we went.
People fully correct me on this is the thirty one game. Yeah,
thirty one games in a row unbeaten the national titles
are great. To have a streak like that with a
bunch of others, Yeah, that was really quite special and.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Steve from a sort of management and selection criteria point
of view, I guess when the team does well like
it has some great streaks, there would have been quite
a few people around the golfing scene. I guess trying
to knock on the door wanting to be part of
this is that made the job a bit tougher in
terms of, you know, selections and making sure the absolute
top masters golfers are in this team.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Definitely, I'm one of part of the selection panel and
obviously the team managers perspectives do that one hundred. A
good thing in this space is all forty years plass
to have a lot of life experience and families and
careers et cetera. They bring a level of maturity and
they would like to be part of that. But the
(07:16):
man very mature and supportive when they missed out. You
know that obviously that theems success and the wonderful comple
is want to be part of it. But you know,
the start of twelve and go to ten and into eight,
down to five and a reserve, some good fellows missed out.
But that's a that's a nice problem to have to
be there.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Indeed, a j tell us about it's a tighter course
and in the cargo that's obviously renowned as you know,
a very you know, significant golf course in our country.
Tell us your past experience is there and what you're
most looking forward to about being on the course.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Yes, So my first intervinual in the men's space back
in twenty fifteen was at actually Odatara, and I remember
that course then was really wouldn't be and it was
quite tough because they grew the rough quite thick. And
we had a member of our team go down this
week just for a quick look at the course, and
(08:10):
I've actually growing that rough back to what I remember
quite back. So it will be quite penalizing if you're
off the fairway or feel don't actually hit it quite straight.
And and the greens always down there are absolutely immaculate,
so I expect them to be.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Quite fast as well and wonderful. How's the weather looking, Steve?
Have you checked the long range forecast?
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah? I do. I'm one of those balls who thinks
the more they look at it, the better it may get.
It looks usable, Adam went from about four to five
different directions across the week, and I guess there's a
few showers, pretty good weather, pretty decent spring weather. So
it looks promising back challenging.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Great, And just finally, Steve, the stars that have laid
the foundations for a busy few months ahead from a
REP level doesn't have plenty to come over the coming
couple of months.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Following this on, only two weeks later, the men's and
women's teams playing christ Church at Rustley and Herewood, and
then we're we're into the summer and sitting up into
club and then starting looking at next year's REP season.
So yeah, certainly the next four weeks really big in
the calendar.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Great, hey guys, great to catch up, EJ.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Great to get your thoughts from the players perspective as
as you look to you know, lead Wellington with pride
again and hopefully another victory. I'm at the Friburg Masters
this this coming week, so thanks for your time Steve.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Always great to catch up.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Appreciate your time as well, and all the best to
the Wellington contingent down there over the coming week.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Thanks Adam, Thank you, Adam.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Cheers guys.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
A J.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Nicholson the Captain Steve. We're our regular contributor here and
of course the team manager for the Wellington Men's Masters
teams down south. Starting Tuesday, we will bring you all
the action from that Tuesday date as part of our
sports news and programs here on News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
For more from News Talks EDB, listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcast on Iartradio
Newstalk's that be on the Allsport Breakfast right time for
our weekly golf slot. This week we focus on the
successful Wellington Men's Masters team who are heading down to
the Freiburg Masters Nationals at in Viicago on the Altatata course.
It starts Tuesday and runs through the course of the week. Wellington,
of course winners in twenty twenty one and twenty twenty two,
so they're looking to reclaim.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
The title this year.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
As always on a Saturday morning, here Steve where is
joint and joining us. So Steve is managing at the
Wellington Masters team again this year. Alongside him with us
this morning is longtime team at Captain E. J.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Nicholson. Morning to both of you guys. Steve, we'll start with.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
You, and this is definitely one of the high performing
areas at Wellington Golf, isn't it, the Men's Masters program.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yeah, certainly. In the last eight years the team's been
very consistent and successful. As you say, placed no worse
than Sports and had placed twice Sports third, second and
through national titles in that period. So along with Auckland
who won three titles and both and he won a
couple with three dominant teams, but certainly from a content
point of view on a record to be proud of
(01:02):
that we're willing to conserve.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Yeah, exactly, EJ will bring you when you've been the
captain of the Master's team since twenty sixteen, and that
consistency on the course in terms of results, obviously a
couple of titles, but a whole string of top four
positionings over the last few years. How much is the
consistency of personnel contributed to the consistency of results.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
That makes a huge difference because obviously with having consistency
with people going year and year out, you obviously get
that experience I mean of that you can't sort of
buy experience. So having that experience of playing in those
big moments and those big matches years pretty crucial.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
And EJ especially the crossover with the main Wellington inter
club team as well. I guess just having you guys
playing golf together more often than maybe some other Masters
teams do, does that help as well?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
Yeah, for sure, Like it's always good being able to
play with your mate and obviously paying with your mates,
it's that's them dynamic going and having a better dynamic
and other teams that go down to these into provincial
event year and year out. It makes a big difference
when you know who you're playing with, you know how
(02:10):
they act, you know how you can support them in
many ways.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Great Steve, you've obviously got the drawer outs, you know
who you'll be playing to start with over the first
few rounds of the competition from Tuesday. Do you do
much from a manager's perspective? Do you do much preparation
on on who's on the lists for the other teams
or is a lot of it just about self preparation
at this point.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, it's a mix of both that. Certainly we mainly
look at whose name for the problems each year, obviously
being the over forty space, those who just turned forty
and coming to the teams, it's been the anticipator as
to who they might be and what the teams look like.
But certainly early hands up on that guide some of
our tactics also about being playing orders the year. We
(02:53):
definitely got an eye on the other fourteen provinces.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, ej, what have you made of the drawer?
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I see you know the likes of Auckland, Hawks Bay
right at the end there looks to be a little
bit of a tough finish, but yeah, just your overall
thoughts on how you'll negotiate things from Tuesday.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Yeah, so in Timson draw, obviously at the beginning of
the week, I wouldn't say we have any easy teams,
but that back end of the week is where the
crunch time will already happen. We're up against some opponents
and probably the teams, to be honest, that will be
a top of the ladder on the end of the week.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, and EJ.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
From a player's perspective, how do you make sure you're
peaking consistently right through the course of the week.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Well, it's a very tough challenge because I'm obviously playing
eight rounds of golf. Is always going to be at
least one round or moments within a round where you
don't play particularly well. Because man, as any sports person
can attest to, like to try to play up to
the highest level for that amount of time and over
(03:53):
that amount of period is quite difficult.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Great, and Steve tell us about the overall squad that's
been selected for this some different names in the mix
than what we might have seen him previous years.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yeah, certainly, EJ. And then in a couple of years
following EJ's conclusion in that team, John Kine and Matt
Peg have been regular fixtures in the team, and certainly
the other three are all newish to the space. Steve
Thompson out of Shandon has been a reserve once before,
has Mark Badden had a bullcot in a reserve and
John Potts the actual reserve's time out of Royal Wellington
(04:28):
formally played soft off for South Africa. So those played
at a high level are all new in this space.
But that's exciting too because they're all just forty something
chaps and you know, slightly younger legs. But it'll be
a baptism of fire. But it's exciting yet.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, Aj is skipper, how do you integrate the new
guys into the actual squad? And I've obviously been on
the periphery for a weabit.
Speaker 4 (04:49):
Yeah, it's obviously always good to have fresh racers that
are come in because they bring fresh ideas to both
our practice rounds before we actually played within the competition,
and then they bring a fresh perspective around what we
can do within those competition rounds. In terms of, like
I said before, the experience with three of us myself,
(05:10):
John O and Matt. We can give them off exists
and tricks around what to expect and how to deal
with that pressure comes during the week.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah, great, Aj.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Obviously the last few years some of the main rivals
have been the likes of Aucklands, they have plenty Hawks Bay.
Are you expecting them to be the similar threats again
this year? I know you said not every match or
every match is going to be a difficult one, but
are they sort of that the stronghold teams still this year?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Do you think?
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:34):
For sure.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Obviously Auckland made Plenty are always near the top, and
I mean we expect hard matches against them and Hawks Bay. Definitely,
within the last couple of years, I've risen to the top.
They've got some players that have come into that forty
plus year space that used to be exprovincial players that
have really contributed to their team. So we always expect
a close battle, especially with Hawks Bay because they're our
(05:58):
neighbors and they always like to try to better.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
And what's been your highlights or what moment you've been
most proud of as Caps and you've obviously had the
two Masters titles. I'm sure that'll be high up on
the list. But overall, what's you know, what's been the
most enjoyable part of your captaincy and nearly a decade now, To.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
Be honest, it's probably the streak that we had within
sort of the two to three year period where we went.
People fully correct me on this is the thirty one game. Yeah,
thirty one games in a row unbeaten the national titles
are great. To have a streak like that with a
bunch of others, Yeah, that was really quite special and.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Steve from a sort of management and selection criteria point
of view, I guess when the team does well like
it has some great streaks, there would have been quite
a few people around the golfing scene. I guess trying
to knock on the door wanting to be part of
this is that made the job a bit tougher in
terms of, you know, selections and making sure the absolute
top masters golfers are in this team.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Definitely, I'm one of part of the selection panel and
obviously the team managers perspectives do that one hundred. A
good thing in this space is all forty years plass
to have a lot of life experience and families and
careers et cetera. They bring a level of maturity and
they would like to be part of that. But the
(07:16):
man very mature and supportive when they missed out. You
know that obviously that theems success and the wonderful comple
is want to be part of it. But you know,
the start of twelve and go to ten and into eight,
down to five and a reserve, some good fellows missed out.
But that's a that's a nice problem to have to
be there.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Indeed, a j tell us about it's a tighter course
and in the cargo that's obviously renowned as you know,
a very you know, significant golf course in our country.
Tell us your past experience is there and what you're
most looking forward to about being on the course.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Yes, So my first intervinual in the men's space back
in twenty fifteen was at actually Odatara, and I remember
that course then was really wouldn't be and it was
quite tough because they grew the rough quite thick. And
we had a member of our team go down this
week just for a quick look at the course, and
(08:10):
I've actually growing that rough back to what I remember
quite back. So it will be quite penalizing if you're
off the fairway or feel don't actually hit it quite straight.
And and the greens always down there are absolutely immaculate,
so I expect them to be.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Quite fast as well and wonderful. How's the weather looking, Steve?
Have you checked the long range forecast?
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah? I do. I'm one of those balls who thinks
the more they look at it, the better it may get.
It looks usable, Adam went from about four to five
different directions across the week, and I guess there's a
few showers, pretty good weather, pretty decent spring weather. So
it looks promising back challenging.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Great, And just finally, Steve, the stars that have laid
the foundations for a busy few months ahead from a
REP level doesn't have plenty to come over the coming
couple of months.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Following this on, only two weeks later, the men's and
women's teams playing christ Church at Rustley and Herewood, and
then we're we're into the summer and sitting up into
club and then starting looking at next year's REP season.
So yeah, certainly the next four weeks really big in
the calendar.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Great, hey guys, great to catch up, EJ.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Great to get your thoughts from the players perspective as
as you look to you know, lead Wellington with pride
again and hopefully another victory. I'm at the Friburg Masters
this this coming week, so thanks for your time Steve.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Always great to catch up.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Appreciate your time as well, and all the best to
the Wellington contingent down there over the coming week.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Thanks Adam, Thank you, Adam.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Cheers guys.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
A J.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Nicholson the Captain Steve. We're our regular contributor here and
of course the team manager for the Wellington Men's Masters
teams down south. Starting Tuesday, we will bring you all
the action from that Tuesday date as part of our
sports news and programs here on News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
For more from News Talks EDB, listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcast on Iartradio
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