The Australian Interstate Teams Matches tee off on Tuesday morning and at this evening’s opening ceremony at Sorrento Golf Club on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula there was no doubt that the players were ready for the contest.

During the official proceedings, many within the squads beamed with pride about donning their state’s colours for the first time, but afterwards the good-natured barbs were quick to be thrown around.

New South Wales co-captain Harrison Crowe laid out the challenge to South Australia, and more specifically Jack Buchanan, for whom he caddied in the final two rounds of the Australian Amateur, ahead of their opening match.

Most of the team’s have put a target on The Blues back however, as they and the West Australians have been dubbed the favourites for Thursday afternoon’s final.

Two players central to the favourites are Kirsten Rudgeley (Western Australia) and Kelsey Bennett (New South Wales) and their Queen Sirikit Cup teammate Caitlin Peirce (South Australia) said that they are all pushing for bragging rights over one another ahead of their Singapore trip later in the month.

There were also the traditional rivalries thrown about amongst the eastern states, and the southern states, but the other main talking point of the day was how every team has been blown away by the quality of the Sorrento layout during their practice rounds.

West Australian captain Connor Fewkes had been trying to get as much insight as possible on Sorrento from the professionals at last week’s NT PGA Championship and he said he found it to be even better than what they had told him.

Every other team shared the same sentiment.

Each team’s first impressions of the course:

• Ronan Filgate, Tasmania - “The greens are really good. From today, that’s our favourite thing about the golf course.”

• Connor Fewkes, Western Australia - “Last week at the NT PGA I was asking a few guys about Sorrento and they were telling me how great it was. It was even better than they said today.”

• Jack Buchanan, Charlie Nobbs, Reagan Denton and Billy Cawthrone, South Australia - “Our practice round  was really good. The course was great and we had a great time. We loved it.”

• Rhianna Lewis, Queensland - “The course is amazing. It is so nice. I couldn’t believe it.”

• Keeley Marx, Victoria - “It’s fantastic out there. We love it here!”

• Harrison Crowe, New South Wales - “We were really impressed today. It’s going to make for good matchplay golf.”

The match each team are most looking forward to:

• Mackenzie Wilson, Tasmania - “We cannot wait to play South Australia.”

• Connor Fewkes, Western Australia - “New South Wales. That’s going to be a big match.”

• Jack Buchanan, South Australia - “We’re pumped to play New South Wales first up tomorrow.”

• Sam Slater, Queensland - “New South Wales. It’s the traditional rivalry.”

• Keeley Marx, Victoria - “Queensland first up tomorrow is going to be good.”

• Harrison Crowe, New South Wales - “We’re coming for South Australia tomorrow morning.”

Play begins at 7:30am AEST on Tuesday 10 May with New South Wales versus South Australia, Queensland versus Victoria and Tasmania versus Western Australia.

Follow the live scores here.