Newbrook eyes matchplay title | Rotorua Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Rotorua

Penny Newbrook can follow in some big footprints and help end the foreign domination during next week's Lion Foundation Amateur Championships in Wanganui.

The Rotorua international won the New Zealand strokeplay title earlier this year and if she can add the one-on-one matchplay equivalent she will match the effort of her club professional at Springfield - Brenda Ormsby - who won both in 1996.

The New Zealand representative and her national teammate Sarah Nicholson will lead the Kiwi charge during the week-long championships at the Wanganui Golf Club.

Overseas players have won four of the last six New Zealand Amateur titles with two wins by Wendy Hawkes separating the foreign challenge.

Australians have led the way with Anna Parsons winning in 1998 in Napier, Carlie Butler in 2000 at Huapai and Melanie Holmes-Smith in 2002 in Nelson, while Great Britain's Shelley McKevitt claimed last years championship at Mount Maunganui.

Last year's championship was bolstered with internationals following the Commonwealth Tournament in Auckland. Just four talented Australians will be crossing the Tasman next week.

Leading the way is super-talented New South Wales player Nikki Garrett, who is hoping it will prove third time lucky at the New Zealand Amateur. She was beaten in the semifinals in 2002 and was edged by McKevitt in last year's final.

The 20-year-old, who has played for Australia at senior and junior levels, is currently fourth on the stroke rankings. She is chasing a regular spot on the Australian team after some inconsistent form cost a spot in the Commonwealth and Espirito Santo teams.

Karen Quinn (NSW) won twice in Asia last year, Heather Warren (Queensland) was runner-up in the second flight in New Zealand last year and Michelle Coetzee is a promising player from Queensland's premier Indooroopilly club.

Newbrook, who led Bay of Plenty at No 1 in the recent Interprovincial, will want to reverse her fortunes at the Amateur in recent years. After qualifying highly in the past two years, she has been beaten in the first round.

Nicholson, the form player in New Zealand last summer, has made it to the second round in 2002 and 2003.

There will be some strong challenges from a raft of talented Titleist Academy players and promising teenagers including Taupo's Tammy Clelland, Auckland's Natasha Krishna, Rotorua's Jackie Shin and Christchurch's Eunice Jin while Commonwealth Tournament representative Jenny Park (Otago) returns after missing the Interprovincials.

The foursomes championship is on Monday with 36-hole strokeplay qualifying on Tuesday.

The top 32 qualifiers progress to the Amateur Championship with two rounds of matchplay on Wednesday, quarter-finals and semifinals on Thursday with the 36-hole final on Friday.