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Henare wins Titleist Footjoy Trainee Championship by Sixteen Shots10 Mar 2010

A final round six under par 66 from Andrew Henare (Sharpies Driving Range, Hastings) sealed a sixteen shot victory in the Titleist Footjoy Trainee Championship today at St Andrews Golf Club in Hamilton.
Such was Henare's clinical display his nearest rival, defending champion Nick Davey (Te Puke Golf Club) was reduced to playing for second place after Henare turned an overnight seven shot lead into eleven after an opening nine three under par 34.
The final nail in the coffin for all those trying to reduce Henare's lead were holes five through fourteen. These holes produced an eagle, seven birdies, a par and a bogey - an incredible 8 under par in ten holes!
The winning margin was a testament to how Heanre played all week. His nine hole scores from all four rounds were consistency ( with a small blip) and then excellence personified - 36, 36, 35, 35, 40, 33, 34 and 32. It would have been easy to go into cruze mode with such a healthy lead but such is Henare's tenacity he fought hard to the very end - winning in style!
For his efforts Henare wins an all expenses paid trip to the Australian Futures Championship at Catalina Country Club in October. He also gains a start in next weeks $100,000 Brian Perry Classic - also to be held at Hamilton Golf Club. Henare will be joined in October by Davey who finished second on nine over 297 after rounds of 76, 74, 72 and 75.
Finishing in third equal position on ten over 298 were Sam Ha Jnr (Ferrymead Golf, Christchurch) and James Oh (Waimari Beach Golf Club, Christchurch). Richard Wright (Pro Drive Driving Range, Hamilton) was in fifth position a further shot back.
2010 Titleist Footjoy Trainee Championships Final Standings top
Owen stretches lead at Lakes Resort Legends10 Mar 2010
Westown's Craig Owen added a one under par round of 70 to his first day 67 to hold a three shot lead in the TV3 Rebel Sport Legends event at the Lakes Resort Pauanui course today.
Queensland’s Mike Ferguson added a second 70 to be on 140 alone in second place. He has four birdies but mixed in a bogey and a triple on the tough 14th hole.
Tied third on 141 are Wanaka’s Garth Domigan (70 71), Taupo’s Barry Vivian (70 71), and Sydney’s Brett Officer (70 71).
The tournament favourite, Wayne Grady, withdrew on only his second hole of the day, with a back injury that he aggravated while warming up putting him out of the event.
Leading Scores.
137 Craig Owen 67 70
140 Mike Ferguson 70 70
141 Garth Domigan 70 71, Barry Vivian 70 71, Brett Officer 70 71
143 Rodger Davis 73 70, Jim Lapsley 72 71
144 Hugh Dolan 71 73, David Good 73 71, David Saunders 74 70, Peter Smith 72 72, Roger Stephens 74 70
145 Greg Carroll 72 73, Martin Webber 70 75
146 Richard Ellis 68 78, Stuart Reese 74 72
147 Bob Shearer 73 74 top
Kiwis One and Two at Lakes Resort Legends 9 Mar 2010
Craig Owen takes a one shot lead into day two of the TV3 Rebel Sport Lakes Resort Pauanui Legends Pro-Am, with a four under par round of 67, blemish-free with birdies on 2 and 3, 16 and 17.
One back is local professional Richard Ellis, who was four under the card before a three putt bogey on the 14th, parring in for his 68.
There is a group of six on one under par 70, three Kiwis in Garth Domigan, Martin Webber and Barry Vivian, and three Aussies in Wayne Grady, Mike Ferguson and Brett Officer.
The second round of three is set to go on Wednesday with a 10am shotgun start. There are 20 teams of three amateurs playing in the company of two professionals each, teams of five vying for top honours in the team’s event.
First Round Scores 67 Craig Owen 68 Richard Ellis 70 Garth Domigan 70 Mike Ferguson 70 Wayne Grady 70 Brett Officer 70 Barry Vivian 70 Martin Webber 71 Hugh Dolan 72 Greg Carroll 72 Jim Lapsley 72 Peter Smith 73 Rodger Davis 73 David Good 73 Brian Jones 73 Bob Shearer 74 Stuart Reese 74 David Saunders 74 Roger Stephens 75 Walter Godfrey 75 Randall Vines 75 Gary Watson 76 Andy Dakers 76 Frank McLoughlin 76 Mark Sandri 77 Garry Merrick 77 Tana Palmer 77 John Reid 78 Richard Beer 78 Elliott Booth 78 Terry Leech 78 John Tolhurst 79 John Barrett 80 Peter Davis 80 Michael Egan 81 Kyle Francis 81 Paul Mahoney 84 Peter Ormsby 87 Bob Stevens 89 Alex McKay top
Henare maintains lead in Titleist Footjoy Trainee Championship9 Mar 2010

Hamilton turned on another stunning day today for the third round of the Titleist Footjoy PGA Trainee Championship at St Andrews Golf Club.
Over night leader Andrew Henare who held a seven shot lead over his nearest rival Sam Ha JNR (Ferrymead Driving Range), struggled early in ideal scoring conditions. Henare was three over through the first nine holes and his lead had been cut to three shots after Davey card an opening nine of two under 35. Henare's card contained everything from a chip in eagle two on five to a double bogey seven on the par five ninth.
An eagle three on the tenth extended Henare's lead to four after a Davey birdie and from there the lead continued to grow. The last eight holes proved to be telling for Davey as he played them in three over par opposed Henare's level par effort.
Ha JNR could not find the form required to close the gap and signed for 77 that contained three birdies, six bogeys and a double.
The best score of the third round however belonged to James Oh (Waimari Beach Golf Club, Christchurch). Oh started slowly with a bogey four at the par three third followed by a three putt bogey six at the par five fourth. Oh then went on a birdie blitz and strung together five birdies in as many holes helping him to turn in two under. Holes eleven, twelve and thirteen produced par's before finishing birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey birdie netting Oh a four under par 68.
The Championship concludes tomorrow morning with the final round teeing off at 7.30am. All spectators are welcome.
Round Three - 2010 Titleist Footjoy Trainee Championship (48K)
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Henare leads Titleist Footjoy Trainee Championship by seven shots8 Mar 2010

The 2010 Titleist Footjoy Trainee Championship teed off today at St Andrews Golf Club in Hamilton. Thirty three trainees from throughout New Zealand completed the first two rounds of the championship in near perfect conditions as blue sky, sun and little wind offered good scoring opportunities for the players.
After the morning round Andrew Henare, 72 (Sharpies Hastings) held a two shot lead over Fernando Riquelme (Royal Wellington) and Kevin Wolmarans (Northland Golf Club) both on two over 74. One shot further back was Jacques Nortje (Grange Golf Club) on 75.
Overall most trainees struggled in ideal conditions on a golf course that was tamed Sunday by Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting with a three under 69 from the championship tees - form we hope is reserved strictly for the golf course and not Seddon Park when the third ODI gets underway at 2.00pm tomorrow.
The form player on day one however was Henare. After a second round two under par 70 helped along by an eagle two at the 350m 1st hole he holds a seven shot lead over second placed Sam Ha (Ferrymead Golf, Christchurch) on 149. Henare overall was a model of consistency returning nine hole scores of 36, 36, 35 and 35 for his two under par total 142.
Defending champion Nick Davey (Te Puke) is one shot further back on six over par150 in a three way tie for third with Nortje and Wolmarans. Local favourite Richard Wright (Pro Drive Driving Range) is in sole sixth position one shot further back.
Round three begins at 9.30am Tuesday followed by round four on Wednesday morning at 7.30am. All spectators are welcome.
Round Two Scores - 2010 Titleist Footjoy Trainee Championship (48K)
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Nagle-Charles Trophy to Aussies at Pauanui8 Mar 2010
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Snakes? What Snakes? Brian Jones checks out the local Fauna | | It was a clear cut victory to the Australian team of Legends at the inaugural Trans-Tasman clash held at Lakes Resort Pauanui over the weekend. Twelve players on each side made up six matches played under four-ball best-ball format, and while it looked close for about two thirds of the match a strong finish from the Aussies closed it out by a decisive margin of five matches to one.
Match Summaries Follow
Garth Domigan (Wanaka) and Mark Sandri (Timaru) played against David Good and Bob Shearer, and it was the young ones (if anyone in this event could be called that) who held a small lead throughout the game after winning the first hole, closing it out 2/1 for the only Kiwi win.
Bob Charles and Craig Owen (Westown) took on Wayne Grady and Garry Merrick, and although they finished two under par for their round they went down by a 3/1 margin.
Barry Vivian (Taupo) and Richard Ellis (Pauanui) were never in their match after losing four holes in a row early on, and went down to David Saunders and Mike Ferguson 6/5.
Peter Hay-Mackenzie (Auckland) and Martin Webber (Wellington) managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Hugh Dolan and Brett Officer, being one up with two to play but could not make a par between them to lose to last two holes and finish one down.
Stuart Reese (Peninsula) and Peter Smith (Wanaka) enjoyed a tight match against Rodger Davis and Brian Jones, a battle of the broomsticks with all four players brandishing long putters like jousters without horses. However it was the Aussie duo who prevailed 2/1 in a match that saw many birdies.
John Reid (Papamoa) and Dennis Clark (Te Puke) struggled against Roger Stephens and Richard Beer (beware the wounded golfer), down early in their match and losing 4/3.
Regardless of the result, the match was played in great spirit and camaraderie, auguring well for a repeat event in maybe a more expanded form next year. top
Saunders Defends Big Lead, Wins Taranaki Legends5 Mar 2010
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David Saunders | David Saunders added a five under par round of 67 to his first day 66 to comfortably will the Dow AgroSciences Taranaki Legends Pro-Am today.
His scorecard at Westown was impressive, with four birdies through the first 10 holes, before a bogey on the 14th. He then birdied 15 and eagled 17, before a last hole bogey for his 67.
Rodger Davis showed his class with a six under par 66 but only managed to pick up one shot on Saunders. Good enough however for clear second place on a total of 139. Davis made eight birdies but tossed in a couple of bogies on a day when he attacked everything, aware of how far back he was.
Hugh Dolan made it an Aussie trifecta by adding a 69 to his first day 72 and a 141 total.
Garth Domigan (73 69) was the first Kiwi, tied fourth with Garry Merrick 73 69) on 142.
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Saunders Well Clear at Taranaki Legends4 Mar 2010
Sydney’s David Saunders takes a massive six stroke lead into the second and final day of the Agro Science Golf Taranaki Legends Pro-Am, after scorching round the Ngamotu Links in 66. His round was quite simple, birdies on 2, 5 7 and 8 to turn in 32, then a couple more on 16 and 17 to return in 34.
Craig Owen of Westown and Hugh Dolan of Australia are tied second on par rounds of 72.
Full Day One Scores
66 David Saunders 72 Hugh Dolan 72 Craig Owen 73 Rodger Davis 73 Garth Domigan 73 Garry Merrick 74 Mike Ferguson 74 Kyle Francis 74 David Good 74 Brett Officer 76 Andy Dakers 76 Jim Lapsley 77 John Tolhurst 77 Randall Vines 77 Martin Webber 78 John Reid 79 Dennis J Clark 79 Richard Coombes 79 Peter Ormsby 79 Tana Palmer 80 Richard Beer 80 Greg Carroll 80 Brian Jones 81 John Barrett 81 Elliott Booth 81 John Garner 82 Walter Godfrey 82 Paul Mahoney 82 Alex McKay 82 Gary Watson 83 Frank McLoughlin 84 Grant Fisher 84 Terry Leech 85 Peter Davis 91 Michael Egan top
David Too Good at Gulf Harbour Legends3 Mar 2010
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David Good | David Good from Melbourne was in scintillating form today in the SASI Gulf Harbour Legends Pro-Am, scoring an error-free seven under par 65, consisting of five birdies and an eagle on the par five 6th hole. He was two shots clear of second place.
Jim Lapsley of Queenstown had that honour. He started slow, making a couple of bogeys on his first two holes (the 11th and 12th). But he birdied 17 and 18 before moving on to the front nine where he made five more birdies in six holes to post a five under par 67.
In third place was Queensland’s Brian Jones, continuing his good form of late by posting a four under par 68. He did mix three bogeys with his seven birdies, going two under early, giving them back before making a run of four more towards the end of his round.
Hugh Dolan was fourth with a 69, three birdies and no errors.
Click here for full scores top
Merrick Wins PAK’nSAVE Legends at North Shore1 Mar 2010
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Garry Merrick | Adelaide’s Garry Merrick followed up some good recent form with a clear victory in the PAK’nSAVE Legends Pro-Am at the North Shore Golf Club today.
Merrick started his round on the first hole in the shotgun format and made four birdies going out to turn in 32. His last five holes were a bit of a mixture, finishing bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie, birdie for his five under par 67.
Brett Officer was alone in second place with his 70. He started his round on the fifth hole and went one over with a bogey on the par three seventh hole before making three birdies on the outward nine. He then bogeyed the par five first hole (his 15th), before birdying the third for his two under par score.
Craig Owen and High Dolan were tied for third place on par scores of 72.
Click Here for Full Scores top
LEGENDARY GOLFER LIVES UP TO EXPECTATIONS1 Mar 2010
England’s Laura Davies came to the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open with a star billing and showed why when winning the $400,000 co-sanctioned European and Australasian Tour event by two shots at Pegasus Town, near Christchurch, today.
Davies had four birdies and never dropped a shot in her closing round of four-under 68 to finish nine-under par, a win worth $60,000 but more importantly for her it brought her victories world-wide to 73 and meant New Zealand was another country she had ticked off the list. Not that the win will stop her from returning next year to defend her crown. `I love to play and love to win – that’s what keeps me motivated,’’ she said. She has won in the United States, most European countries, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
`India and Portugal are among the few places I’ve been to and not won and if I get a chance to play in South Africa I’d go there,’’ said the 46-year-old global golf traveller. Davies started the final round in second place at five-under par, a shot behind Australia’s Sarah Kemp and she had falled to two behind at the turn with the 24-year-old Kemp having had three birdies on the front nine to Davies’ two. They were level after Davies birdied the 12th hole and the Englishwoman took the lead when Kemp bogeyed after failing to get up and down from a bunker. Davies holed what she called a ``crucial putt’’ for birdie at the par-5 16th to increase her lead to two and felt then that two pars would be enough to win. That proved correct, Davies playing the last hole, a par-5 of 460m conservatively, hitting a No 5 iron off the tee, then a No. 6 iron and sand wedge to the green and two-putting. `I was happy to make par and if she (Kemp) was good enough to eagle it then we would go to a play-off.’’ Davies contested the inaugural New Zealand Open at Clearwater last year, but found the course, with its amount of water and out-of-bounds areas, `blew her mind’.
She liked Pegasus at first sight and, seeing she was at 12 to one on an on-line betting site back home, rang her brother to say she was worth a bet. She didn’t know if he had followed her sage advice. Kemp, as she did last year, finished joint runner-up after a one-under 71, her third sub-par round. ''She (Davies) was always going to be a tough competitor to beat so if I could pick someone to be in a match-play battle she would be the one – I knew Laura would be the one to beat. Kemp shared second with first-round leader, Marianne Skarpnord, of Norway, and Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg, who shot a sensational course record of nine-under 63 with 10 birdies. Last year’s champion, Gwladys Nocera (France), and Georgina Simpson (England) were tied for fifth on five-under 283 and in a group of six on 284 and tied for seventh was the outstanding little 12-year-old from the Pupuke club in North Harbour, Lydia Ko, who finished with a 69 – her third sub-par round – to be the best of the New Zealanders.
Leading scores after the final round of the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open
279 Laura Davies (Eng) 69 71 71 68 281 Pernilla Lindberg (Swe) 73 70 75 63, , Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 65 73 75 68, Sarah Kemp (Aust) 69 67 7471 282 Gwladys Nocera (Fr) 73 71,72 67 283 Georgina Simpson (Eng) 78 69 67 69 284 Iben Tinning (Den) 73 71 71 69, , Lydia Ko (a NZ) 71 73 71 69, Linda Wessberg (Swe), 72 70 73 69. Mina Harigae (US) 73 73 68 70, , Lorie Kane (Can) 73 66 74 71, Becky Brewerton (Wal), 72 69 71 72 285 Taylor Leon (US) 72 75 71 71, Ashleigh Simon (SA) 68 70 78 69, Beth Allen (US) 73 69 74 69, Dianna D’Alessio (US) 67 68 79 71, You Na Park (Kor) 73 69 71 72 286 Rebecca Flood (Aust) 71 71 77 67, Kristie Smith (Aust) 68 76 74 68, , Dewi Claire Schreefel (NL) 69 72 76 69 287 Tamara Beckett (Aust) 71 70 74 72, Caroline Rominger (Switz) 73 72 70 70, , Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 71 73 71 72, , Bettina Hauert (Ger) 75 70 70 72, Nina Reis (Swe) 72 70 71 74 288 Sarah Oh (Aust) 71 72 76 68, Katie Futcher (US) 72 71 76 68 Jane Park (Kor) 76 69 72 67, Karen Lunn (Aust) 76 71 69 72, , Hye Youn Kim (Kor) 73 69 73 73 289 Rebecca Coakley (Ire) 72 74 74 69, Sarah-Jane Smith (Aust) 72 73 75 69, Lynn Kenny (Sco) 76 71 72 70 Louise Stahle (Swe) 74 67 76 72, Stefanie Michl (Aut) 71 69 75 74.
For a full list of final standing in the Pegasus NZ Women's Open click here
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KO in unbelievable display at Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open1 Mar 2010
She may be an amateur and only 12-years-old, but New Zealand’s Lydia Ko produced an amazing four rounds of golf that had seasoned veterans shaking their heads in disbelief at her total of 284 and a tie for seventh at the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open at Pegasus Town near Christchurch. With conditions fluctuating from calm to almost gale forced nor-easterlies over the four days, Ko had three sub par rounds in her 71, 73, 71, 69 total. Had it not been for a cold putter on day two she would undoubtedly had all four rounds in red figures. The most remarkable was her third round 71, where she was one of only 16 players to break par in a day of carnage. Ko was five shots behind winner Laura Davies, of England. Ko’s playing partner today, Iben Tinning, described the almost teenager as ‘being unbelievable already” while Cecilie Lundgreen, a veteran of 11 years on the circuit, said that “it was incredible how a 12-year-old seemed to be totally unfazed by everything that was going on around her.” For the quietly spoken Ko, believed to be the youngest player ever to make the cut on a Ladies European Tour event, handling the bigger crowds and spectator interest was a major plus. “Playing with more people and more spectators, I think I played pretty well today,” she said. After getting up and down out of the green side bunker on the second, Ko had three birdies over the next four holes to go out in 33. Her only blemish was on the par three 11th where her tee shot was too strong. After an indifferent putting performance over the first two days, Ko regained her confidence, both with the line and pace of her putts. “My coach recorded the message for me “I love putting” which made me confident for today.” Ko had three goals, one to make the cut which meant she could get her ears pierced, two to beat her international team mate and friend Cecilia Cho and third to better Cho’s equal 14th finish in last year’s New Zealand Open. All achieved. It was not such a good day for the other two New Zealanders. Sarah Nicholson finished in a tie for 36th with rounds of 71 70 74 75 and Cho tied for 47th with rounds of 73 71 76 73.
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Brian Jones Wins City of Dunedin Legends27 Feb 2010
It was the Jones boy from Queensland who took out the City of Dunedin Legends Pro-Am today at the Balmacewan course with a second and final round of two under par 69.
Together with his first day score of 70 Brian Jones’ total of 139 was one shot ahead of Victorian David Good, who also had a 69 today to go with his earlier par round of 71.
Sir Bob Charles added a 72 today to finish on 141 and in a three way tied for third. He came unstuck mid-round where he bogeyed 7, 9, 10 and 12, but staged some sort of recovery with birdies on 8, 15 and 17. Charles shared this score with Garry Merrick from Adelaide(71 70) and Queenstown’s Jim Lapsley (71 70).
One of the rounds of the day was produced by Wanaka’s Garth Domigan, a four under par round of 67 with six birdies, three on each side, and a double bogey on the second hole.
For Full Results Click Here top
Kemp enters new waters at Pegasus NZ Women’s Open28 Feb 2010
Sarah Kemp has never led into the final round of a professional golf tournament before, but the 24-year-old Australian is keenly looking forward to the challenge in the final round of the Pegasus New Zealand Open tomorrow, even if she is being stalked by one of the legends of the game in Laura Davies of England. After a day where the field was almost brought to its knees by a strong blustery nor-east wind, Kemp is six under par on 210, after a 74, one clear of Davies (71) with a further shot to Wales’ Becky Brewerton. Considering that American Diana D’Alessio led the field after two rounds at nine under, the strength of the wind, which grew as the day progressed, turned a pleasant morning stroll into a battle for survival. Only 16 players bettered par, almost all with early morning starts. Kemp is better equipped than most to handle coastal windy conditions having learned her golf at the New South Wales Golf Club, but even she struggled in today’s buffeting conditions. “I didn’t think I kept my focus at all well and didn’t feel if I played well, but I hung in there for my two over.” Kemp found the wind affected her putting most. “I would stand over the ball and it would start to shake. It was causing me to change my routine and I shouldn’t have done that. I just have to stand over the ball and be confident.” Kemp had to be mentally strong to keep from being affected by the woes of her playing companions. Overnight leader D’Alessio dropped seven shots in six holes between the 12th and 17th in her round of 79 while South African Ashleigh Simon dropped eight shots between the 11th and 16th in her 78. “I’m heading to the putting green for 20 minutes just to hear the ball dropping into the cup. It will be easy to wipe out today and concentrate on tomorrow,” she said. Whereas tomorrow is new ground for Kemp, not so for Davies, who looks in good touch after three weeks in Australia and one in Thailand as preparation for this tournament. “I started off well with four birdies and two three-putt bogeys, which was disappointing, and was cruising, but we turned into the wind on the eighth and it was a different ball game. I was swinging pretty well to be honest, but just had to concentrate on making pars, but even that was difficult,” she said. To show the magnitude of the wind, Davies hit an eight iron 211 metres through the green on the 18th, while on the 475 m par 5 16th she hit driver, three iron, three iron compared with driver, four iron, sand iron the day before. “Hopefully it will be a fine day tomorrow and the good crowds will be able to see players shooting birdies, not just surviving,” she said. Heading the New Zealand charge is Wellington’s Sarah Nicholson and 12-year-old amateur Lydia Ko on one under 215 and in a tie for 11th after rounds of 74 and 71 respectively. Cecilia Cho shot a 76 and is tied for 44th.
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NZ Open Leader puts faith in positive thinking27 Feb 2010
American Diana D’Alessio, after a 2009 golf year which brought little financial reward and a free-falling ranking on the United State LPGA Tour, made a decision which seems likely to pay an early dividend. Late last year she attended a Vision 54 seminar in Phoenix, a project launched by Pia Nilsson, and popularized by Swedish professional, Annika Sorenstam, and she headed to Christchurch this week for the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open with her mind full of positive thoughts. Vision 54 is an integrated coaching programme aimed at increasing performance and individual development to enable the golfer to shoot 54, the equivalent of 18 birdies in a round.
Midway through the national event at Pegasus Town, north of Christchurch, D’Alessio has a one shot lead over Australian Sarah Kemp, backing up her first round of five-under 67 with 68 today to be nine-under par. A shot further back are South African Ashleigh Simon and overnight leader, Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord, whose 73 was eight shots more than her outstanding first round. Standing alone in fifth place is Canadian Lorie Kane, a shot ahead of England’s Laura Davies and Austria’s Stefanie Michl.
Five Kiwis made the cut which was at five over, the best of them being Wellington professional Sarah Nicholson who is in a tie for eighth after a second round 70. She is joined by three amateurs, 12-year-old Lydia Ko and Cecilia Cho, on even par 144 plus Hanee Song on 149, the same score as Cathryn Bristrow.
D’Alessio went 31 holes before dropping a shot, but even after a double-bogey at the 13th and a three-putt bogey at the 14th her powers of positive thinking came to bear and she birdied three of the last four holes bringing her birdie tally for 36 holes to 12.
`It (Vision 54 seminar) really helped me,’’ D’Alessio said. ``I had fairly decent years in 06, 07, 08 but 09 was really a mental battle – things started to go wrong and I couldn’t quite get out of it. To keep out any negative thoughts, D’Alessio, 35, says she tries to keep her mind occupied. I like to have a mantra where I think fairways-greens anything to get yourself from thinking bad thoughts because they’re going to creep in and if you can settle them down you’ll obviously do better.’’ D’Alessio, whose earnings last year were $US35,500 (ranking 124) as opposed to winning more than $US235,000 the previous three years with a ranking inside the top 60, said if she was leading overnight she had plans to block that out.
`I’ll probably sing a lot to myself and recite movie lines, anything to keep from thinking too far ahead and in between shots I’ll probably chit-chat with my caddy.’’ She said she was amazed to have played 30 holes at Pegasus without dropping a shot. ``On this course you are going to make bogeys as it is a hard course, but I made a few great par-saving putts like a 15-footer on the eighth to keep the string going and I gave a little fist pump thinking `phew’. You obviously want to play bogey-free but that’s not realistic because it’s going to happen.’’ Kemp started by missing a four foot putt on the first and compounded that with a poor tee shot on the second, but after those two early bogeys she reeled off seven birdies over her remaining round, her five under being the equal best round of the day. “I didn’t real feel that I played that well today,” she said at the conclusion of her round, but conceded that a good putt on the 14th (her fifth hole) kicked up her confidence. “I didn’t hit it extremely close but sunk some good putts. “ Her key focus tomorrow is again on holing those crucial putts and keeping the ball low in the windy conditions. top
Saunders Leads, Charles one back, at Dunedin Legends26 Feb 2010
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Charles Poised to Pounce | David Saunders, fresh off a shared victory at the Club Car Queenstown Legends, takes a two shot lead into the second and final day of the City of Dunedin Legends Pro-Am.
His three under par round of 68 on the Balmacewan course could have been even better but for a soft bogey on the last hole. He has previously made four birdies (1st, 8th, 10th and 15th) and felt he left a couple of shots out there when he could only manage pars on the short 16th and 17th and then the dropped shot on 18.
Bob Charles is only one shot back in second place with a two under par 69. After an early birdie on the 2nd hole he bogeyed both 3 and 4 to go one over, but further birdies on 8, 14 and 17 had him posting yet another round comfortably under his age.
Two shots back and sharing third place are two more Australians. Brian Jones, a prolific winner on the Japan Tour in his more dominant days, was two over par early but made three birdies coming home for his 71, while Greg Carroll from Mackay in Northern Queensland would not be happy with his bogey-bogey finish for his 71.
The tournament finishes tomorrow with the second and final round.
Full Scores Here
68 David Saunders 69 Bob Charles 70 Greg Carroll 70 Brian Jones 71 John Clifford 71 Rodger Davis 71 David Good 71 Jim Lapsley 71 Garry Merrick 71 Craig Owen 71 Peter Smith 72 Graham Banister 72 Hugh Dolan 72 Mike Ferguson 72 Kenneth Oung 73 Kyle Francis 73 Ossie Moore 73 Brett Officer 73 John Williamson 74 Walter Godfrey 74 Don Leary 74 Steve Morshuis 74 John Tolhurst 74 Mike Zilko 75 Larry Canning 75 Richard Coombes 75 Guy Ferguson 75 Stuart Reese 75 Geoff Smart 76 Dennis J Clark 76 Garth Domigan 76 Mark Sandri 77 Elliott Booth 77 Andy Dakers 77 Paul Dalgleish 77 Wayne Davies 78 Les Allen 78 Peter Davis 78 Michael Egan 78 Martin Webber 79 Randall Vines 80 Frank McLoughlin 80 Tana Palmer 81 John Barrett 81 Richard Beer 82 Michael Paterson 87 Rick Mangan top
12-year-old Ko in leading NZ trio at Pegasus Women’s Open26 Feb 2010
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Sarah Nicholson, one under 71 in first round of the Pegasus Women's Open. |
North Harbour’s Lydia Ko, along with fellow amateur Zoe Brake (Whakatane) and Wellington professional Sarah Nicholson are the leading New Zealander at one under 71, six shots behind leader Marianne Skarpnord, after the first round of the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open at Pegasus Town, near Christchurch. Ko, aged 12, was poised to be the leading Kiwi with two holes to play when she was two under, but a double bogey five at the eighth (her 17th) dropped her back to par before she sank a down hill 15 footer for a birdie on the par 5 final hole. “At the start of my round the putts were not going in, a few went sideways and the wind was a bit of a challenge. I had trouble at 17 where I was plugged in the greenside bunker, came out too strong and then topped my chip.” She has just recently got New Zealand citizenship and the dual North Island amateur champion will make her debut against Australia in the TransTasman Cup International against Australia at Royal Wellington Golf Club on March 10 and 11.
Brake, a recent winner of the South Island amateur championship and New Zealand strokeplay champion, was two down early, but two birdies, another bogey and an eagle at the par 5 ninth had her out in 35. She had two birdies and two bogeys on the back nine. Nicholson was the only member of the trio to play in the more testing morning conditions where the buffeting nor'wester made for difficult scoring. This was replaced by a nor’easter in the afternoon. Nicholson, mixed six birdies with five bogeys and after dropping a shot at the second, birdied the third, fifth and seventh holes to turn in three-under 33, but she battled on some of the harder holes early on the back nine which she played as the wind changed briefly. After bogeys at 10, 12 and 14, she rallied strongly with birdies at 15 and 17 before missing a birdie putt from 1.5m at the last. Nicholson said that she played below her best but was happy to sign for a sub-par round. `I started really well on the front nine which is a little bit wider and easier to get around and was three-under through the turn. But I knew it would be a bit of a struggle on the back nine especially as the wind changed a little and I had a few soft bogeys. `I managed some good par putts and the greens were getting pretty fast and you had to be below the hole – I had a few birdie putts above the hole, tapped them and they rolled past.’’ `My goal in the next three weeks is three top 10s or better (the ANZ Ladies Masters and Australian Women’s Open follow) and I’m pretty comfortable where I’m sitting after today’s round,’’ Nicholson said.
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Club Car Queenstown Legends tied by Banister & Saunders23 Feb 2010
Aussies David Saunders and Graham Banister tied the Club Car Queenstown Legends Pro-Am today with rounds of four under par 68 in trying conditions, a fine day but with a brisk wind coming off Lake Wakatipu.
Banister made seven birdies but three bogeys in the mix saw him finish four under, while Saunders was more steady with only the one bogey to go with his five birdies.
New Zealander Barry Vivian was in third place alone on 69, finishing his round off with three consecutive birdies.
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Watch out for young guns in Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open23 Feb 2010
The best of Europe, Australia and New Zealand women’s golf might just have to check their review mirrors for a group of young guns in this week’s Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open in Christchurch.
The second New Zealand Women’s Open tees off at the new Pegasus course north of Christchurch on Thursday, this year boasting $415,000 prizemoney and a full co-sanction tournament with the Australian LPG and the Ladies European Tour.
That has attracted seven of Europe’s top-10 players and most of Australia’s best, while there’s interest in the professional debut on home soil of Auckland’s Cathryn Bristow, just the third kiwi to qualify for the lucrative US-based LPGA Tour.
Tournament organisers have also invited a number of young hopefuls, many who have advanced from the testing ground of the US collegiate scene on to the LPGA as well as some leading prospects.
They include Korean-born Australian Misun Cho, the Pepperdine University graduate who finished second overall in the Duramed Futures last year, to earn her promotion to the LPGA. Other exciting young hopes include the Korean LPGA rookie of the year He Young Choi, two-time Espirito Santo world amateur winner Pernilla Lindberg (Sweden) and South African Open champion Tandi Cuningham.
Graduates from the Futures development tour to the LPGA also includes Ireland’s Alison Walshe, a Curtis Cup player in 2008, Louise Stahl, the first Swede tow in the British Amateur and Dewi Claire Schreefel (NED) the Dutch and Italian Amateur champion who won the NCAA title.
There are also some established LPGA professionals who will add to the Open including Diana D’Alessio, who has won US$1.2m, Canada’s Lorie Kane, with four wins on the LPGA and nine top-10s in majors, Becky Morgan (Wales), a multiple winner in Europe and 2005 World Cup winner, and Jane Park (Korea) a former US Amateur winner and has two seconds earning US$1m in her four years on the LPGA.
“It is a fantastic field with real quality,” said tournament promoter Bob Tuohy. “We have winners of eight tournaments in Europe last year, a former world No 1 in Laura Davies, our defending champion Gwladys Nocera, four Solheim Cup players and most of the best Australians who are doing well around the world. “We have also given some invitations to this group of very talented young graduates, many of them with success in the US college scene, and without doubt a number of them will become real stars of the women’s game.”
New Zealand Golf will have interest in their amateur line-up in action this week, with the country’s two most exciting young prospects, Cecilia Cho and Lydia Ko both teeing up together for the first time in New Zealand colours.
Ko, 12 (Pupuke), the current North Island champion and runner-up in last year’s New Zealand Amateur, gained her citizenship in December.
Cho, 15 (Pakuranga), the amateur golfer of the year in 2009 with 15 individual titles, has just received her citizenship and both will want to push their claims for New Zealand selection with the Queen Sirikit Cup Asia Pacific championship next month and the Espirito Santo world amateur later in the year.
Two local Christchurch players will also be celebrating after they earned the final two spots in the field after qualifying in the New Zealand Professional Women’s Golf organisations’s Pro Am a Clearwater on Sunday.
Becky Walsh (Waitikiri) and Lynne Shaskey (Rawhiti) were the two best scores from the players who had not already gained entry, and will enjoy the highlight of their careers in front of friends and family this week.
The players will arrive for practice today and tomorrow with the Pro-Am on Wednesday and tournament proper on Thursday. The Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open is the first of a three-tournament swing for the ALPG and LET ahead of the ANZ Ladies Masters on the Gold Coast and Australian Open in Melbourne.
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Nocera leads European charge at Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open23 Feb 2010
Defending champion Gwladys Nocera leads a super-strong European contingent to contest the Pegasus New Zealand Women’s Open at Pegasus Town, near Christchurch, from February 25-28. Nocera (France) returns for the upgraded second New Zealand Open that will boast $415,000 prizemoney and is fully con-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour and the Australian Ladies Professional Golf. It moves to the new Kristie Kerr-designed course at Pegasus Town near Christchurch, the new naming sponsor for the event. Nocera faces a significantly stronger field that includes winners of eight tournaments in Europe last year. They include Becky Brewerton (Spanish Open winner), Linda Wessberg (UNIQA Open), Marianne Skarpnord (Italian Open, Swiss Open), Felicity Johnson (Tenerife Open), Azahara Munoz Guijarro (Madrid Open), Laura Davies (Australian Open) and Tania Elosegui (ABN AMRO Open). Four members of Europe’s Solheim Cup will compete in Brewerton (England), Elosegui (Spain), Laura Davies (England) and Nocera, with 12 of last year’s top 20 Order of Merit and seven of the top-10 to travel to New Zealand. Former world No 1 Davies, who made it 38 career wins in the Australian Open last year and her seven top-10s led to 11th on the OOM, will again be a major drawcard. Brewerton capped a great season with eight top-five finishes to be third on the OOM; Skarpnord won twice with five top-fives to be fourth and Elosequi was fifth. Watch too for talented English player Melissa Reid, seventh on the OOM after six top-10s in 2009 while there will be real interest in a superstar of the future in Spain’s Guijarro Munoz. The 22 year old was the NCAA Champion at Arizona State and last year’s British Amateur champion, who won on debut on the LET at her home country’s Madrid Ladies Masters in a playoff. Nocera is excited at the prospect of defending her New Zealand title. 'It's important to me to be there, it's the beginning of the season for the LET and I'll be very happy to be back there. It’s pretty difficult to win any tournament and winning back to back is a succession of good things happening to you, and it doesn’t happen too often,’’ said Nocera. Nocera will split her year between the United States and Europe where she has a 10-year exemption. In her third bid to earn LPGA status, Nocera finished second in sectional qualifying then came 16th equal in the final stage over five rounds at Daytona Beach in Florida. `I want to set myself new challenges so I will have to test myself. I will have to increase my level of play and work hard, it's going to be a tough task but I like the thought of it.’’
Although she left the amateur ranks at the relatively advanced age of 27, Nocera has won 10 LET titles, backed them up with 41 top-10 placings and earned more than 1.5 million euros in tournament income.
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Club Car Queenstown Legends tied by Banister & Saunders23 Feb 2010
Aussies David Saunders and Graham Bannister tied the Club Car Queenstown Legends Pro-Am today with rounds of four under par 68 in trying conditions, a fine day but with a brisk wind coming off Lake Wakatipu.
Banister made seven birdies but three bogeys in the mix saw him finish four under, while Saunders was more steady with only the one bogey to go with his five birdies.
New Zealander Barry Vivian was in third place alone on 69, finishing his round off with three consecutive birdies.
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Clelland turns setback into positive challenge22 Feb 2010
Story courtesy of Otago Daily Times
Long-time professional golfer Jim Clelland is one of the organisational forces behind the first Handa NZ Senior Masters tournament, which began at Millbrook yesterday, but there is a good reason why he is happy to be working behind the scenes. He tells his story to Dave Cannan.
Ask any husband: it's a perilous business when they have memory lapses about their wedding anniversaries.
But Jim Clelland will never forget his again.
That's because almost two years ago he spent that special date, August 7, on the operating table at Waikato Hospital having his lower right leg amputated.
For someone who has made a living from playing and teaching golf since he turned professional 33 years ago, the loss of a limb could have been a devastating, career-ending blow.
But Clelland (67), the national events manager for the PGA of New Zealand since 2005, has turned this major setback into a positive challenge, one which he has already conquered by continuing to play the game he loves.
"When I started back, the first five cards I scored had me on a 15.9 handicap.
"But these days I'm back to a 1.9," he said.
Playing golf to such a competitive level again was one of the 10 goals he set himself during his recovery from the operation 16 months ago, like being able to play nine and then 18 holes, in a buggy and then walking, and other simple things such as being able to mow his own lawns again.
Clelland's ordeal began when he fell off a balcony of his Taupo home in November, 2007 while moving furniture, shattering the lower leg and wrecking the ankle joint as well.
For nine months doctors and specialists did their best to save the leg but the bones were so badly damaged they would not knit, forcing Clelland to face the unpalatable truth one fateful day at Waikato Hospital.
When the three specialists told him amputation was probably the best option and they wanted to do it straight away, Clelland was shocked.
"I said to them, 'I tell you what; I'll go home, get drunk and give you a call on Monday with my decision'," he recalled.
But faced with the certain prospect of constant pain and arthritis for the rest of his life, Clelland agreed to the operation and then learned surgeons had him booked in for the amputation on his wedding anniversary (he's been married to Helen for 43 years).
"As you can imagine, that was an incredibly emotional day," he said.
"But it was the right thing to do."
Once the leg had healed and an artificial limb fitted, Clelland began the slow process of learning all over again how to swing a golf club and maintain that all-important balance, boosted by the ironic observation that if you are a right-handed golfer, then it's best to lose your right leg, not the left.
It was not all smooth sailing but he persevered, heeding the advice of his artificial leg mechanic, who told him to "get your chin up, look towards the horizon and walk evenly".
In August last year, 12 months after the amputation, Clelland ticked off the ultimate goal, of returning to the professional circuit, competing in four senior tournaments in Australia.
"My goal was to break 80 and I think my best score was 74 but the most pleasing thing was not letting my playing partners know about my artificial leg and they didn't pick it, either," he said.
So, he could have been out on Millbrook's carefully manicured fairways this weekend, trying to win a share of the $180,000 prize money available over the three days.
But instead he's content to confine his energies to helping run the four inaugural senior tournaments that form the "southern swing", ending with the $30,000 City of Dunedin Legends Pro-Am at the Otago Golf Club next week.
Clelland, who oversees about 35 tournaments a year, recalls there was only one senior golf event in New Zealand 10 years ago but now there are eight, and he is determined the four new senior events will become permanent fixtures.
"There is room for them to get better and better and I know Dunedin is very keen to establish their event, so that's got to be good for the sport here," he said.
Incidentally, while Clelland is a northerner, he does have strong southern links through his mother, Agnes Hall, who was born at Tarras, while Grandfather George Hall is buried in the Alexandra cemetery. top
Harwood Wins Handa NZ Senior Masters21 Feb 2010
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Mike Harwood and the remarkable Dr Handa | Michael Harwood of Victoria, Australia, took out the inaugural Handa New Zealand Senior Masters held at Millbrook over the last three days in somewhat emphatic style with a 70 final round and a ten under par total score of 206.
Harwood really won the event with his second round 66, and when he played through the first nine on the last day in three under par 33 the event was his to lose. He gave the chasers a glimmer of hope when he bogeyed 11 and 12, but a birdie on the par five 15th locked it up.
Another Melbournian in Michael Clayton finished strong with a 69 to take out second place on a six under par total of 210. He also made a couple of bogeys coming home but offset these with five birdies.
Queenslander Wayne Grady was third alone a shot further back after a final round 72, three birdies offset by three bogeys.
Simon Owen was the leading New Zealander tied fourth with Noel Ratcliffe. Sir Bob Charles finished in 12th equal placing after a final round of 74.
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Harwood Takes Control at Millbrook20 Feb 2010
Mike Harwood from NSW set a new course record of 66 in the second round of the Handa NZ Senior Masters at Millbrook today with a six under par round of 66.
He birdied the 5th and 7th holes to go out in 34, then parred his way back until he reached the par five 15th, from where he proceeded to birdie the last four holes to be back in 32. Together with his first round 70 his two round total of 136 is three shots clear of fellow Aussie Wayne Grady and Kiwi Simon Owen.
Grady birdied the 3rd and 7th holes, and made pars on the rest for his 70 and a total of five under 139.
Owen had four birdies and a bogey in his 69 to also be on 139 total.
The remarkable Sir Bob Charles was again under his age with a round of 70 to move up through the field after his first day 77. top
Grady, Ratcliffe Tied for Handa Senior Lead19 Feb 2010
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Sir Bob Charles, Dr Handa, Mr Ishii of Millbrook, and Wayne Grady | It’s a couple of Aussies at the top of the leader-board in the Handa New Zealand Senior Masters today at Millbrook.
Queensland’s Wayne Grady and Noel Ratcliffe of NSW both scored three under par 69’s. Grady, the USPGA Champion of 1990, played the new Coronet nine first, and made birdies on the 10th, 13, 15 and 17 with a bogey on the tough 12th hole for his three under par 33, then he came home on the front nine with nine straight pars.
Ratcliffe put together the only error-free round of the day, playing the course from the first tee he started with ten straight pars, then birdied 11, 12 and 18 to be back in 33.
Tied third on two under par rounds of 70 was Michael Harwood from NSW and the first Kiwi in Simon Owen.
Wellington’s Richard Coombes scored a hole-in-one on the par three second hole on the new Coronet nine.
Leading scores (Australian unless otherwise advised): 69 Wayne Grady, Noel Ratcliffe 70 Michael Harwood, Simon Owen (NZ) 71 Michael Clayton 72 Peter Criss, Garth Domigan (NZ), Trevor McDonald, Steve Morshuis 73 Greg Carroll, Rodger Davis top
Lapsley Wins Club Car Pegasus Legends16 Feb 2010
Jim Lapsley from Queenstown took out the first Legends Pro-Am Tour event today at the Pegasus course near Christchurch with a six under par round of 66.
While he made bogey on the par four seventh hole to go with a couple of birdies on the front nine, he can home with five more birdies for an inward half of 31 to hold out fellow Kiwi Craig Owen of Westown by a shot.
Owen had six birdies in his round, with a bogey on the par three eight hole, and he was in turn one in front of the first Aussie in Mike Ferguson from Queensland. Ferguson also made six birdies but two bogeys brought him back to his 68.
David Saunders from Australia was alone in fourth place with his 70, and there were three shots back to a group on 73 including Sir Bob Charles who once again scored his age in competition.
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Green Wins Masterton/Eketahuna by 3 Shots14 Feb 2010
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Brian Broom, Managing Director of DHL, Andrew Green, and Paul Broom, Director of Recreational Services | A blistering round of 64 shot Andrew Green into the winners slot at the DHL Global Forwarding/Recreational Services Pro-Am over the weekend.
Together with his one under par round of 70, scored in very difficult weather conditions, his total of 134 was three shots clear of runner up Clarke Osborne of Auckland.
Osborne was the first day leader with an exceptional 67 at Eketahuna in the wind and rain, and he added a one under par round of 70 at Masterton for his 137 score.
There was a seven way tie for third place on 140 and all scores can be seen by clicking on the link below.
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McIntosh, Holten share Martinborough Pro-Am Win11 Feb 2010
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Club President Neil Smith with joint winners Jason McIntosh & Mathew Holten | Taupo’s Jason McIntosh and Matt Holten from Christchurch both scored eight under par 64’s to share the honours in today’s Jimmy Napier Classic PGA Pro-Am at the Martinborough Golf Club.
McIntosh , well known for his short game skills, took the course apart with nine birdies, off-set by the one bogey on the tough par three 12th hole. His front nine of 31 consisted of birdies on 1, 3, 6, 8 and 9. Coming home he birdied the relative easy par five 11th hole, dropped the 12th and then birdied 13, 14 and 17 for his round of 64.
It was a timely win, albeit it shared, for McIntosh, as he failed to retain his PGA card in 2009, and then missed out regaining it at the January PGA Tour School. Until today this meant that he played events only as last man in and this joint-victory means that he is now not only exempt until the same event in 2011 but he is well on the way to a top 25 finish for 2010 anyway.
Holten made no mistakes, scoring eight birdies, getting off to a fast start with five in his first seven holes. He added three more coming home for his 64, a continuation of some excellent form in recent weeks, back to when he was near the front of the leader-board in the PGA Championship in Christchurch.
On a course set up for good scoring, made so by the average summer that the Wairarapa has been experiencing, Te Puke club professional Scott Pickett was right behind these two with his 65. Four birdies and two bogeys had him at two under the card through 13 holes, but he played the last five holes five under the card, finishing birdie, par, birdie, eagle, birdie.
Fourth place was shared on 66 by Doug Holloway (Hastings), Alex Tait (Northland), and Kevin Chun (Auckland).
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Chun by Three at Ferndale Paraparaumu Pro-Am10 Feb 2010
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Kevin Chun with John O'Sullivan of Ferndale Trust | The Paraparaumu Beach Golf Course bared its teeth today when hosting the Ferndale sponsored Pro-Am, with the 54 PGA Professionals playing from the very back of the black tees.
It was true championship conditions with an inconsistent breeze combining with fast running fairways and very much quicker greens providing as good a test as they are likely to see for quite some time.
Kevin Chun of Auckland, a Korean Tour player, was the standout with a superb round of 66, five under par. Starting of the back nine, he birdied the tough 11th hole, then put together five in a row from the 15th through to the first hole. A bogey on the 3rd brought him back to five under par and he parred in for his 66 and a three shot win.
Westown’s Craig Owen, in preparation for the up-coming Legends Tour events, tossed in a couple of double bogeys plus two bogeys, three birdies and back-to-back eagles on 7 and 8 (where he holed a wedge second) for his two under par total of 69 and second placing.
Cambridge’s Andrew Searle had his chances when requiring a birdie on the par five 18th hole for a 68, his pitch shot was ordinary and a three putt turned it into a bogey six, he having to settle for a score of one under par 70 and sole third place.
Tied in fourth place was Nelson’s Jordan Dasler who mixed up five bogeys with three birdies, then an excellent eagle on the last for his par round of 71. Equalling that score was Mathew Holten of Christchurch, who made four birdies, a bogey on the par three 16th and a triple-bogey on the tricky par three 5th hole.
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Bae Gets Pro Career off to Flyer at Waikanae9 Feb 2010
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John Bae with Quinovic's Managing Director Ross Davey | Canterbury’s John Bae won at his first start today at the Quinovic sponsored Waikanae Pro-Am, two shots clear with a five under par round of 66. It was a score notable for its par fives, where Bae made three birdies and an eagle with a chip-in on his last hole. No errors and good enough for a two shot win over a strong field of more experienced players at this level.
Five players shared second on 68. PGA Trainee Andrew Henare from Hastings was cruising until he struck with three birdies on his last three holes. Te Anau’s David Klein made five birdies on his pro debut but threw in a double on the 1st hole (his 5th), while it was four birdies and a bogey for Auckland’s Jon Bevitt. Tauranga’s Jared Pender made three birdies in his last five holes to rescue his card, while Mathew Holten of Christchurch also mixed his card with bogeys and birdies.
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