BROWN TAKES NZ PGA AFTER PLAY OFF

Sydneysider Mitchell Brown beat good friend and former roommate, Ashley Hall, from Victoria, at the first hole of sudden-death to claim the New Zealand PGA Championship title at Clearwater today.

Brown started the final round tied for fifth and five shots behind overnight leader, Hall, but when his travelling companion bogeyed the 72nd hole, chipping and two-putting from the front fringe, a play off was required for a third time in the last six years.
 
The 18th again proved Hall’s downfall. On the 72th hole he had left a chip well short and his putt to win stopped a half roll short. This time he charged his first putt from 70 feet and went 8 feet by, his par return again stopping a half roll short whereas Brown chipped to within two feet and safely made his par.
 
The two Australians had finished on seven-under par, Brown firing a final round 68 and Hall, a one-over 73 his worst round of the tournament. A stroke back and alone in third place was the best of the New Zealanders, Grant Moorhead, who was sharing the lead with Hall after 70 holes before bogeying the last two holes.
 
Former Australian Open champion, Stephen Allan (Victoria) and American Joe Affunti were tied fourth on five-under with the second-best Kiwi, Mahal Pearce, on four-under tied for sixth with Australians, Scott Arnold, Andrew Bonhomme and Adam Crawford.
 
New Zealand left-hander, Gareth Paddison, who was just a shot off the lead after 70 holes, had a disastrous triple-bogey, double-bogey finish, losing a ball off the tee on the 71st hole and finding the water down the last.
 
Brown, who finished about 40 minutes before the final group with Hall, Moorhead and Paddison, felt he had a chance of being in a play-off because the final trio faced a fierce southerly over the last four holes.

``They played the last four in the wind and we played only the last hole. If it hadn’t been for the wind they probably wouldn’t have dropped shots. It’s always good when you’re in the clubhouse and guys are coming in for it’s easier to drop shots than make them.’’
 
For the 24-year-old New South Welshman, it was his first professional win since he turned pro a little more than three years ago, but he was sympathetic that it came at the expense of his mate.
 
``He was my roommate for about two years on the Asian Tour and we play practice rounds together.’’
 
The victory also continued Brown’s love affair with New Zealand courses. ``I’ve played pretty well here – I won the New Zealand amateur once and was beaten in the final once. Now I’ve come back and won again – I think I should keep coming back,’’ he laughed.

Brown’s final round of 68 included seven birdies, a bogey at the first and a double-bogey at the 13th when his drive bounced off a cart path and found the water. After 66 holes he shared the lead at seven-under with Hall, Moorhead and Paddison.

Hall, who had led the tournament by seven shots during the third round, said it had been a battle towards the end, especially as the wind hit near the end, but he added that he hadn’t played well enough and he made the cardinal sin of leaving vital putts at the 72nd and play-off hole a half roll short.
 
Moorhead had four birdies and three bogeys, the ones at 17th and 18th most costly. His par putt at 17 grazed the hole and he found a fairway bunker at the last, his explosion shot catching the lip and making little progress. His third was on the green and his 20-foot par putt to make it a three-way play-off just slid by.

``That’s the sort of course it is. You don’t have to do a lot wrong to make bogeys but I’m pleased I had no double-bogeys on the card all week.’’