Tauranga Boys’ College recently won the Super 8 golf tourney for just the second time since 1999. Kingsley Wright from Tauranga Boys’ College shared the individual title with Dallas Williams from Hastings Boys’ High School who shot the lowest round of the tourney with a 70.
Wright is an extremely promising player. Aged 15, Wright was a member of the Bay of Plenty team that won the Junior Interprovincial title last year and is the top ranked Under-16 golfer in the region. Wright is one of only a handful of juniors that plays off a scratch handicap.
Super 8 schools historically perform strongly in golf with Rotorua Boys’ and New Plymouth Boys’ having each won the National title and Tauranga and Hamilton Boys’ each achieving Top five finishes.
How long have you been playing golf?
I have been playing for three and a half years. I started playing when my parents moved to Tauranga from Whakatane. I started with a 27 handicap reduced it to 23 within three weeks then to 18 and finally scratch. I train for three or four hours a day during the week and eight to ten hours on the weekend.
Tell us about the Super 8 tourney?
It was held at the St. Andrew’s golf club in Hamilton. It was a tough course, there were lots of tress and the greens were quite fast even though the weather wasn’t the best. In the first round I shot a 73 then a 75 and 76. We beat Palmerston North by nine shots. We got a seven shot break after the first round and never looked back…I really like the Super 8 format because you get to play with your mates and everybody has to be consistent to win.
How does winning the Super 8 rank alongside your other achievements in golf?
It’s a big deal, as a school we really wanted to win it. Our next goal is to win the Nationals?
Who are your main rivals?
Harry Hiller, Henry Spring and Sean Campbell all go to other schools, but they are the main three. We don’t really have official rankings in school golf, but if I could beat those three I would be right up there.
Final Standings
Tauranga BC: 697
Palmerston North: 706
Rotorua BHS: 708
Hastings BHS: 716
Hamilton BHS: 732
New Plymouth BHS: 734
Napier BHS: 742
Gisborne BHS: 788
Top Three Individuals
Kingsley Wright: 224 (Tauranga)
Dallas Williams: 224 (Hastings)
Greg Shaw: 228 (Palmerston North)