New Zealand looks back on what might have been

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Paul Morris/AVW/www.owc08.com

New Zealand's David Smail is hoping to do what his team couldn't do in 2001.

SHENZHEN, China -- David Smail is making his first World Cup appearance for New Zealand since 2004. So, naturally, his mind reverted back to 2001 when a close call for the Kiwis gave Smail memories of his might-have-been moment playing alongside countryman Michael Campbell.

Paul Morris/AVW/www.owc08.com

David Smail's team mate Mark Brown has known Smail for 20 years.

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That year's World Cup at The Taiheiyo Club in Gotemba, Japan, ended in a four-team playoff, featuring a who's-who of golf. South Africa, led by Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, won the tournament on the second playoff hole over Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Soren Hansen. The U.S. team of Tiger Woods and David Duval, along with Smail and Campbell, was eliminated on the first extra hole.

"We came close in 2001. We probably should have won in regulation," Smail said Thursday after he and playing partner Mark Brown put together a 7-under 65. "We had a reachable par 5 on the 18th hole that Sunday but could only make par there."

So New Zealand is giving it another go this week with the Smail-Brown pairing that features two players who have known each other for what they figure is 20 years. "I'm glad to have David as a partner because I know what a quality player he is," said Brown, who won the Johnnie Walker Classic in Australia on the European Tour and the Sail Open in India on the Asian Tour earlier this season. "The Japanese Tour (where Smail primarily plays) probably doesn't get as much attention as some of the others, but Dave has had a great career out there, and tee to green, he's the ideal partner."

Smail, a native of Hamilton, has six Japan Golf Tour victories as well as two others on the PGA Tour of Australasia. He'd love to add a team victory to his resume. "It would be great to win this week after coming so close seven years ago," he said.

New Zealand made five birdies on the front nine of Mission Hills' Olazabal Course on Thursday and added two more on the back nine to move near the top of the leaderboard, tied with Denmark, Ireland and Sweden, three strokes behind leader Germany.

"It was a good day. We both played really solid," Smail said of his team's seven-birdie performance. "So it kind of takes the pressure off you when both of you are playing well. When you stand up and hit it down the middle and both guys are down there, you can start to attack some flags."

"I think if you take the attitude of trying to enjoy it and not get too wound up with how we played, then we should be all right," Brown added. "I think, obviously [Friday] in the foursomes, that will give us a better indication of where we're sitting."