Columnist Peter Benton: New Zealand’s Harbour hosts 1998 World Cup

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1998 | 11:06 a.m.

PETER BENTON is a local golfer. His column appears Wednesdays.

WHEN NEW ZEALAND'S Gulf Harbour Country Club received confirmation in October of '97 that it was to be the site of the 1998 World Cup, it represented a vote of confidence by the organizers, Parallel Media Group of the U.K., along with a great challenge to the club's management and a tremendous accolade for the course designer, Robert Trent Jones.

All for the very same reason -- the course had not yet opened.

It was a measure of Jones' reputation that the organizers asked him to recommend a course anywhere in the world. But when he said, "There is one in New Zealand that is as good as anything I have ever done, but it isn't finished yet," they jumped on a plane and went to look it over.

They must have been impressed because they pursued their case strongly, even though New Zealand represents one of the most expensive venues they could have chosen in terms of travel costs.

The World Cup, initially called the Canada Cup, was the brainchild of Canadian industrialist John Jay Hopkins, whose philosophy was to create international goodwill through golf.

To foster this aim, the event after two years in Canada began to move around the world. New Zealand will be the 21st country to host what, in 1967, became the World Cup.

On Nov. 19-22 it will bring together two top professionals from 32 countries, including America's representatives, John Daly and Scott Verplank.

The Cup has grown so popular that a qualifying tournament is necessary to identify the 10 countries to join the 22 regular participants.

The par-72 Golf Harbour course (located 40 miles north of Auckland at the tip of the Whangaparoa Peninsula) is surrounded by the sparkling waters of the Hauraki Gulf. It features very few holes that are level, and even those where tee and green sit at the same elevation there invariably is a severe dip in the fairway. And unpredictable winds are a constant factor to all golfers.

Last year's event, played at Kiawah Island in South Carolina, was won by Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley. Scotland's Colin Montgomerie and Raymond Russell were second, followed by Davis Love III and Justin Leonard of the USA.

The World Cup of Golf will be telecast Thursday and Friday by FOX Sports West (Cox Cable 49) at 1 p.m., with the final two rounds being shown on FOX (Cox Cable 5) Saturday and Sunday.