The SBS Invitational is a 72-hole amateur stroke play team championship played between the 15 golf associations of New Zealand. It also combines as the New Zealand Teams Stroke Play Championships. It is permanently hosted at the Invercargill Golf Club in Otatara, Invercargill. It is always played in the first weekend of March. Teams include Aorangi, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu/Wanganui, North Harbour, Northland, Otago, Poverty Bay/East Coast, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, and Wellington. It is played over four rounds and teams playoff for the Macquarie Cup. A large number of professional golfers currently performing with distinction on various circuits around the world, have participated in the Invitational during their amateur careers - Michael Campbell, Craig Perks, Frank Nobilo, Grant Waite, Greg Turner, Phil Tataurangi, Stephan Scahill, Tim Wilkinson, Grant Moorhead, Steven Alker, Marcus Wheelhouse, Elliot Boult, Stephen Scahill and David Smail to name but a few. To celebrate 30 years of the Invitational, a team from Australia has been sent to complete in the tournament.
Tournament format
AmAm Tournament - Played on Friday - A four person best net teams event where sponsors are drawn to play with the top representative players from around New Zealand.
SBS Invitational - Played on Saturday & Sunday - 72 hole team championship with the four lowest scores from each team counting in each stroke play round.
Macquarie Cup
Year
Winner
Score
1977
Southland
923
1979
Auckland
885
1980
Otago
1167
1981
Auckland
1169
1982
Canterbury
1200
1983
Canterbury
1163
1984
Canterbury
1194
1985
Southland
1191
1986
Canterbury
1164
1987
Auckland
1169
1988
Auckland
1181
1989
Wellington
878
1990
Canterbury
1177
1991
Auckland
1166
1992
Wellington
1145
1993
Auckland
1187
1994
Tasman
1163
1995
Tasman
1179
1996
Wellington
1169
1997
Canterbury
1186
1998
Canterbury
1154
1999
Wellington
1148
2000
Canterbury
1130
2001
Bay of Plenty
1167
2002
Manawatu/Wanganui
1167
2003
Bay of Plenty
1144
2004
Waikato
1139
2005
Auckland
1152
2006
Bay of Plenty
1176
2007
North Harbour
1141
2008
Auckland
1171
2009
North Harbour
1158
Played over 54 holes in 1977, 1979 & 1989
Founders Trophy
The bottom seven teams (plus or minus ties, as decided by the Committee) after Saturday’s play shall also compete for "The Founders Trophy". The winner being the team from this group with the lowest two round total on the final day.
