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Smail Runner-up to Ishikawa, Earns Open Start29 Jun 2009
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David Smail | Despite a potentially disastrous quintuple bogey 9 at the 12th hole of his final round, Japan golf’s golden boy, 17 year old Ryo Ishikawa, today won his third Japan Golf Tour title and in the process has earned himself a start at the Open Championship at Turnberry.
Ishikawa’s three shot victory over New Zealander David Smail at the Gateway to the Open Mizuno Open near Osaka, secures him one of the four places available via this event for Turnberry and his second major championship start following on from his Masters debut in April.
David Smail will be delighted with a weekend which saw him move from 23rd to outright second and importantly he will now play his second major of the year as he too earns a start at Turnberry. He had his chance to win, but the trip to Scotland was no doubt one of his goals leading into the tournament.
Ishikawa took control of the tournament in round three and established a three shot lead heading into today’s final round. He appeared to be cruising to an emphatic victory before the stumble at the 13th saw him lose the five lead he was enjoying at the time.
As he walked to the 13th tee he was tied with Smail and the Korean Hyung Sung Kim, who had led for much of the first three days of the event. The unflappable teenager rallied back with an eagle at the par five 16th and a birdie at the final hole to win by three over Smail and by four over Kenichi Kuboya, Tomohiro Kondo and Hyung Sung Kim.
It was a stunning performance for one so young to recover from such a destabilising mishap and further emphasises the exciting future in store for Ishikawa, who first won in Japan at the age of 15 in May of 2007.
This was the second runner up finish for Smail in his last three starts in Japan, separated by a withdrawal from the weather impacted Japan PGA Championship prior to leaving on his unsuccessful trip to the US Open. He has time to better prepare for the Open Championship however as the Japan Golf Tour now has a one month break.
Brendan Jones continued his remarkably consistent season in 2009 by finishing in share of 8th although he will be ruing a bogey at the par five 16th. A birdie there may well have seen him on his way to Turnberry. Given that Jones was four over through five holes of his first round however it was a good comeback to record his fourth top ten in six starts this season.
Rookie Steve Jeffress was the next best of the Australasians finishing 11th and earning his best cheque in Japan. Wayne Perske and Paul Sheehan were 46th.
David Smail has moved into third position on the Japan Golf Tour money list just ahead of Brendan Jones in 4th position.
Christchurch's Eddie Lee missed the cut with rounds of 73 and 76.  top
American Gillis Wins Nationwide Tour Players Cup29 Jun 2009
 A total of 29 birdies took Tom Gillis to his Nationwide Tour victory this morning NZ time.
Australian Cameron Percy, a regular at Holden Scramble Championship Finals, finished second equal, with another Australian Won Joon Lee tied 13th.
Phil Tataurangi was the best of the Kiwis, rounds of 72 71 71 72 = 286 putting him tied 34th. Grant Waite was one back with 70 71 72 74 = 287 and tied 40th. Brad Iles slipped back with a final round 78 to be tied 59th.
For Full Story Click Here
Final Results and Money top
Three Kiwis in Mid-Field at Nationwide28 Jun 2009
In the thrid round of the Nationwide Tour Players Cup, Bradley Iles added a 72 (213) which included six bogeys and six birdies, Grant Waite also 72 (213) including two of double bogey's, and Phil Tataurangi a 71 (214) including five birdies and four bogey's. Steve Alker missed the cut.
Nationwide Tour Players Cup - Round Three Scoreboard top
Iles Slips Back in Nationwide Tour Players Cup26 Jun 2009
Bradley Iles slipped from top of the leaderboard after the first round to tied 25th alongside Grant Waite (70-71) after round two. Iles's second round 76 was 11 worse than the first day, he started with a birdie on the second, but then made six bogeys in the next eight holes. Another birdie on 12 and an eagle on 17 went some way to helping his score, but a double bogey on the last hurt his card.
Phil Tatautangi made the cut on the line with rounds of 72 and 71, while Steve Alker showed some improvement on his first day 82 with a 72, but will sit out the weekend.
Over on the main PGA Tour Danny Lee has missed the cut with two rounds of 74.
Related Story Round 1 - Nationwide Tour
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Glover survives challenges to win US Open23 Jun 2009
 FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) -- In a final hour packed with emotion, Lucas Glover played a steady hand to win the U.S. Open.
So many amazing stories belonged to contenders all around him Monday at Bethpage Black, from Phil Mickelson's stirring bid to win for his beloved wife as she battles breast cancer, to David Duval coming out of nowhere or what would have been his first win in eight long years.
Glover kept his cap tugged low and played the kind of golf that wins a U.S. Open under any conditions.
He made only one birdie in the rain-delayed final round, and it could not have been timed any better. Glover holed a 6-foot putt on the 16th hole to break one last tie for the lead, then held on with pars to close with a 3-over 73 for a two-shot victory.
"It was a test of patience, that's for sure," Glover said. "It was just heart today."
It was sheer heartache for Mickelson.
His wife, Amy, is due to have surgery for breast cancer next week. She left cards and text messages asking him to bring home the silver trophy from a U.S. Open that has taunted Lefty for a decade.
Right when it was in his grasp, Mickelson let it slip away again.
He missed a 3-foot par putt on the 15th hole and another par putt from 8 feet on the 17th that ended his dream finish. Mickelson closed with a 70 and wound up in a three-way tie for second with Duval and 54-hole leader Ricky Barnes.
Mickelson left Bethpage Black with the wrong kind of distinction. He set the U.S. Open record with his fifth runner-up finish.
"Certainly I'm disappointed," Mickelson said, "but now that it's over, I've got more important things going on.
"And," he added, then paused, "oh, well."
Even more stunning was the revival of Duval.
The former No. 1 player in golf came to the U.S. Open as a qualifier who had plunged to No. 882 in the world. Showing remarkable resiliency throughout the week, Duval recovered from another big number -- a triple bogey from a plugged lie in a bunker -- and surged into a share of the lead with three straight birdies.
Tied for the lead with two holes to play, his 5-foot par putt on the 17th cruelly caught the back of the lip and spun 180 degrees out on the other side. He shot 71 for his best finish on the PGA TOUR since he won the British Open in 2001.
Barnes, who set the 36-hole U.S. Open scoring record, never had much of a chance. His swing got him into more trouble than he could handle as he went out in 40, 5-over par, and never quite recovered until it was too late.
That left Glover the most unlikely champion.
The 29-year-old from South Carolina, who chews tobacco and listens to Sinatra, had not won since holing out a bunker shot on the final hole at the Children's Miracle Network Classic nearly five years ago.
But this was no fluke.
Once he was handed the lead by Barnes' collapse, Glover was rock solid on a water-logged course. And when he hit two of his best shots of the final round to the 16th green for his lone birdie, it made for an anticlimactic finish to a U.S. Open that had more delays than drama.
It was the first time the U.S. Open ended on a Monday without a playoff since 1983, courtesy of relentless rain.
109th US Open - Final Standings
109th US Open - Final Results and Money top
Tataurangi Top Ten Finish24 Jun 2009
 Phil Tataurangi faded in the final round but has still managed a top 10 finish in the Nationwide Tour's Fort Smith Classic golf tournament in Arkansas over the weekend.
Tataurangi began the final round in a tie for second but could only manage a one-under-par 69 and was overtaken by others to finish tied for eighth with Alex Prugh.
There was a birdie on the fifth to make the turn one-under but he mixed two more birdies, on the 11th and 13th, with bogeys on the 10 and 14th.
Tataurangi had led the tournament after a stunning opening round of 62 which included a hole-in-one. He followed that up with a 71 but fired back into contention yesterday with a 66.
Another New Zealander, Bradley Iles, finished in a tie for 31st on 276 after rounds of 72, 67, 67 and 70.
The tournament was won by American Jason Enloe who beat countryman Chris Tidland in a playoff after they had finished on 15 under par.
Grant Waite missed the cut.
Nationwide Tour Money Leaders after Fort Smith Classic
Fort Smith Classic - Enloe wins Fort Smith Classic in Playoff top
Duval doesn't win, but dramatically returns to Prominence 23 Jun 2009
 FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Until Monday afternoon, David Duval hadn't recorded a single top-10 finish on the PGA TOUR since 2002.
That's seven years, an eternity for a pro golfer, especially a one-time world No. 1.
But, that's been the story of Duval's career since he reached the pinnacle by winning the 2001 British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes only to plummet into what must have felt like golf's version of the witness protection program since he wasn't seen or heard from for a long, long time.
It's amazing what a difference just one tournament can make though. Just ask Duval, who, at least for this week, isn't lost anymore after an incredibly hard-earned tie for second at 2-under 278 in the 109th U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.
"I stand before you certainly happy with how I played, but extremely disappointed in the outcome," said Duval, who began the week ranked No. 882 in the world and had missed the cut in eight of 13 starts this season. "I had no question in my mind that I was going to win the golf tournament today."
Success once came easily, frequently and rather quickly for Duval. He joined the PGA TOUR in 1995, and from then through the summer of 1997 he was routinely on the brink of winning, finishing second on seven occasions over that span. It seemed as though it was just a matter of time before the floodgates opened for the man behind the wraparound sunglasses.
When Duval finally busted out with his maiden victory in the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill in October of 1997, he began collecting hardware at a furious pace, winning a total of 12 times until that final victory at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
Duval is the kind of man who prefers to keep to himself and never seemed comfortable with the attention that came his way as he soared in the rankings all the way up to No. 1 in April of 1999. He was certainly in his element playing in front of thousands on the golf course, but could at times be standoffish outside of the ropes.
Shortly after his British Open victory, Duval's downward spiral began. He finished 80th on the money list in 2002 and dropped all the way down to 211th in 2003 before taking an extended break from the game as he fought through a host of injuries, a case of vertigo and a lack of confidence, and also took time to be by the side of his wife Susie in 2007 as she went through a difficult pregnancy.
However, no matter how bad the situation got, Duval never gave up on his game. While he didn't have a whole lot to show for that fact over the last seven years, he sure had something to show for it in the final round of this U.S. Open, where his 1-over 71 does nothing to indicate what an impressive round it truly was.
On the third hole, Duval took what seemed to be a crushing triple bogey after his ball came to rest under the lip of a bunker. That dropped him all the way back to 1 over, leading many to suspect the magical run was over. But not Duval.
"I don't quit," he said with so much conviction it was impossible not to believe him. "I figured I had a par 5 [No. 4] right there where I could maybe pick up two shots. I definitely needed to pick up one.
"Funny enough, I hit a really good shot that came up a little short and I had a really awkward stance again," he explained. "You certainly couldn't equate it to being buried underneath the lip of a bunker, but I was like, 'Man, here we go again.' Somehow I managed to get that up and down."
After snatching the birdie at No. 4, Duval gave it right back on No. 7 with a bogey when he hooked an approach shot 60 yards because of a mud ball.
Still, he wouldn't give in.
"I caught an awful, awful mud ball on 7," he said. "I hit a beautiful drive in the fairway and then the ball hooked 60 yards, so that hurt me a little. But, again, just keep moving forward and try to hit a quality shot on the next one. You never know when you're going to make a 50-footer and lo and behold, I made one on the next hole, about 60 feet up the hill. At that point I knew that somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 or 4 under was going to be a really good score and that's what I was trying to do."
With three straight birdies beginning on No. 14, Duval was suddenly in a share of the lead at 3 under -- a remarkable come back from that triple bogey at No. 3 -- and had a shot to end his drought in the most astonishing fashion imaginable.
"I was in the middle of the golf tournament trying to make birdies and I was just having a blast," he said.
That all came undone after a bogey at No. 17 dropped Duval back to 2 over. He made a routine par on No. 18 and saluted the rowdy New York spectators that made the week so special for him.
"It's what I want [to be in a position to win majors]. It may be arrogance, but it's where I feel I belong and I was glad to come up here, hit the golf ball and control myself like I've been saying I've been doing," he said. "I've been talking about how I know I've been playing a lot better than the results have been showing."
Duval's longtime friend and instructor, Puggy Blackmon, who also coached Duval at Georgia Tech, figured an outcome like this was a long time coming.
"I'm not taking any credit for this," Blackmon said. "David has done all the work. I think if anything, I've just been trying to remind him of the way he used to talk to me, the way he used to think and that type of thing… This was phenomenal. This is vintage Duval this week."
So does this mean that Duval is back?
Duval laughed when he was asked that very question.
"You tell me," he said.
David Duval - 2009 US Open Scorecards top
Iles Ties Knoxville on Nationwide, Loses Playoff15 Jun 2009
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Bradley Iles | A great peformance by Bradley Iles saw him come up just short in the Nationwide Tour event at Knoxville, Tennessee, this morning.
His final round of 63 vaulted him from 10th equal to a tie for first place with American Kevin Johnson. Iles last round was blemish-free with nine birdies, two of them on the last two holes.
On the first playoff hole, the par five 18th, they both made birdies, but second time around while Johnson repeated with a birdie Iles made par and has to be satisfied with his runner-up position.
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Batty Qualifies for US Open9 Jun 2009
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Doug Batty | Unheralded New Zealand golfer Doug Batty today achieved a boyhood dream by qualifying for next week's United States Open at Bethpage in New York. Batty, 29, finished second in a four-way playoff for three spots at the Saticoy Country Club in Somis, California, to book his place in the year's second major.
"It's obviously the realisation of a childhood dream," he said from California. "It's a big deal. I've got no complaints right now."
Los Angeles-based Batty carded rounds of 74 and 70 at the par-72 course to make the playoff, which was held on the par-five 18th hole.
He said he was "definitely feeling the pinch" when he stood on the tee. He drew No 1 and went first, hitting his drive down the middle of the fairway.
"I hit my third shot to about two feet and it was really cool, because it was right in front of the clubhouse," he said. "It was kind of a blind shot, but there was a big roar and I knew it was really tight. I got up there and knocked it in."
With one of the quartet managing just a bogey, Batty knew he had a bit of leeway with his short putt.
"But definitely the hole looked small," he said. "It always does."
Batty, who hails from Whangarei and went to Auckland Grammar School, moved to the United States in 2001 on a scholarship. He attended the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Toledo.
In the last two years, he had been plying his trade on the Canadian Tour, along with compatriots Josh Geary and Brad Heaven. However, he failed to retain his card for this year by a mere $15. In fact, the only Tour that he is currently exempt on is the PGA of New Zealand Pro-Am Tour, via his win at Omaha earlier this year.
Batty said he had yet to look ahead to the US Open, with planning to begin tomorrow. However, he believed Bethpage might suit his style because he was a straight hitter.
"That's one of the things I do pretty well, but it's going to be tougher than anything I've played," he said. "I'm just looking forward to it and figuring it out as I go."
Batty is expected to have one of his four siblings, Robert Gaastra, a Navy warrant officer based in Auckland, caddying for him. The pair have teamed up in the past, including in February when Batty won the Omaha Pro-Am tournament, north of Auckland, before returning to the US.
His parents, Mike and Judith, are now hoping to find a temporary manager for their motel in Tauranga so they too can be at Bethpage.
The other New Zealanders in the field will be David Smail and former champion Michael Campbell.
Smail, 39, qualified last month after topping a 144-strong event in Ryugasaki, Japan. He has played in five British Opens and the 2003 US Open.
Campbell, 40, was exempt from qualifying through his win in 2005.
Nearly 800 golfers were vying for a berth in qualifying at 13 different clubs around the US today.
Rookie professional Danny Lee, 18, failed in his bid at the sectional tournament in Columbus, Ohio, after adding a 73 to his opening round 69.
Others to miss out in Columbus included major winners Davis Love III and Jose Maria Olazabal.
Another New Zealander, PGA Tour professional Tim Wilkinson, withdrew from qualifying in Memphis, Tennessee. He has qualified for the British Open. top
Tiger, Tiger, Shining Bright8 Jun 2009
What Jungle Will You Hunt Tonight?
Or maybe in a couple of weeks at the US Open.
Two holes, two towering shots, two clutch birdies.
Just like that, Tiger Woods broke out of a four-way tie and won the Memorial Tournament on Sunday with a 7-under 65 to cap off a high-charged comeback. And just as suddenly, he silenced the skeptics who wondered if he was ready to defend his title in the U.S. Open in two weeks at Bethpage Black.
"I knew I could do this," Woods said after birdies on the final two holes gave him a one-shot victory. "I was close to winning, but the game wasn't quite there when I really needed it on Sunday. I rectified that."
First came a 9-iron at No. 17 that Woods launched as high as he could, allowing the ball to land softly on the top shelf of a rock-hard green for a 9-foot birdie putt. More brilliance followed on the 18th, when Woods hit a 7-iron from 183 yards that stopped a foot from the hole, wrapping up his fourth title at Muirfield Village and moving him to fourth in the FedExCup standings.
Then came a bold observation by tournament host Jack Nicklaus. He had said earlier in the week that Woods, with 14 career majors, would probably break his record of 18 majors in a couple of years.
"I suspect No. 15 will come for Tiger Woods in about two weeks," Nicklaus said at the trophy presentation. "If he drives the ball this way, and plays this way, I'm sure it will. And if not, it will surprise me greatly."
There were no surprises Sunday for Woods, the best sign of all.
He hit the ball where he was aiming and found every fairway in the final round, the first time he had done that on the PGA TOUR in more than five years. He missed only five fairways all week, his best performance off the tee since the 1998 Masters.
"It was nice to play this well going into the U.S. Open," Woods said. "This is how you have to hit it in order to win U.S. Opens."
He managed to work in some of Muirfield Village magic along the way, surging into contention by chipping in for eagle from a nasty lie in thick rough behind the 11th green.
Jim Furyk, part of the four-way tie on the back nine, made a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole that gave him a 69 and allowed him to finish alone in second. Furyk is close friends with Woods, and had been hearing the speculation that Woods was not the same.
"I just wish you all would just quit (ticking) him off ... so he has to come back and keep proving stuff," Furyk said. "I think he answered a lot of questions today."
Woods finished at 12-under 276 and won for the 67th time in his career. The timing could not have been better. He was within one shot of the lead going in to the back nine at Quail Hollow and made nothing better than par for a 72. He played in the final group at The Players Championship, couldn't find a fairway and closed with a 73.
On a firm, fast course under steamy sunshine at Muirfield Village, he was close to perfect.
"It wasn't just the last two holes, it was all week," Woods said. "I felt comfortable hitting it left-to-right, right-to-left. Didn't have a problem taking the ball up in the air or bringing it down. That's what I was looking for. That's what I was able to do at home in my practice sessions, and now it's just a matter of carrying it out here onto a tournament venue and doing it."
After a bogey from the bunker on the 16th, Woods was tied with Furyk, Jonathan Byrd and Davis Love III.
But not for long.
His two final birdies gave him a cushion, and no one could catch him.
Byrd had the best chance to catch Woods. Two shots behind, he hit his approach to 4 feet on the 17th, but missed the birdie putt. Byrd finished with a meaningless double bogey for a 72 and tied for third with Mark Wilson (73).
Love, who could have avoided a 36-hole U.S. Open qualifying Monday with a victory, got into contention with consecutive birdie putts of about 50 feet, only to miss an 8-foot birdie try on the 15th hole. He fell out of the hunt with a bogey from the fairway bunker on the 17th, then hit his tee shot into the water on the 18th hole and closed with a triple bogey.
Matt Bettencourt, the PGA TOUR rookie who started the final round tied with Wilson, held his own for seven holes until a three-putt bogey, followed by a chunked wedge into the water for a double bogey. He closed with a 75 and tied for fifth.
Letzig had never experienced such an environment as playing with Woods in the final round.
"I've never seen anyone hit irons like that," Letzig said. "I tried not to watch him, but some of those shots were unreal."
Woods' driving set up those iron shots. The fairways at Muirfield Village are among the most generous, but he wasn't close to missing them and often set himself up on the right side to attack the pins.
"I don't know why everyone talks about how bad he drives it," Letzig said. "Every drive I saw was perfect." top
Iles Shares Half-Way Lead30 May 2009
Brad Iles followed his first round 64 with a 69 to be in a four way tie for the lead in this week's Nationwide Tour Event in the US.
On day one he was cruising at one under par through nine holes, but lit up the course with a last nine 29 to post 64. In his second round he continued to make birdies, six in all, but mixed it up with four bogeys.
Grant Waite lies only two off the pace with rounds of 68 and 67, while Phil Taturangi (69 71) and Steve Alker (73 71) both missed the cut. top
Wilkinson in The Open26 May 2009
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Tim Wilkinson | Palmerston North's Tim Wilkinson will be playing in his first major championship, the British Open at Turnberry, after qualifying at the 6856 yards par 71 Queens Course at the Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas.
Eight qualifiers from the 78 who began the day will now advance to the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland on July 16-19.
Matt Kuchar (63-66—129), from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, earned the top spot and his fifth visit to the British Open after shooting 13-under-par (63-66—129) at the 36-hole International Final Qualifying for the 2009 British Open Championship.
Jeff Overton (64-67—131), from Bloomington, IN, finished second at 11-under-par.
Martin Laird (67-65—132), from Scotland, posted 10-under 132 late in the day to join Fredrik Jacobson (68-64—132), Davis Love III (67-65—132), James Driscoll (67-65—132), Richard S. Johnson (65-67—132) and Tim Wilkinson (65-67—132) on that score and no playoff was required.
Seven players finished tied for ninth at 9-under.
“I practiced here on Tuesday and my caddie is from here,” said Kuchar, the 1997 U.S Amateur Champion. “Course knowledge only takes you so far. It really helps if you hit it where you’re aiming. Fortunately, I’ve been hitting it really well.”
Turnberry was one of many courses Kuchar played in 1998 when he was on the Walker Cup team that visited Great Britain that year.
“I’m excited to go back,” said the 30-year-old. “It’s a spectacular venue. I’ve never made a cut there (in four starts) but I sure do enjoy going and giving it the good old American try.”
This is Kuchar’s second time at an Open qualifier in the United States. He also tried once in the United Kingdom as an amateur.
“It’s never a joy doing it but I’ve had decent success,” said Kuchar.
Davis Love III will make his 23rd consecutive start at the Open Championship after finishing in the first group of the day and waiting for two hours to see if he would make it.
“I’m a little disappointed not to get it in lower the way I drove it,” said Love, unsure if 10-under was going to be successful at the time. “It’s my favorite major – the way they set up the course and the tradition. It’s certainly the one where I feel like I have a real good chance to be competitive.”
Johnson got his day off to a slow start with six consecutive pars in the first round before playing the next 21 holes in 12-under. Johnson played his last nine holes in 2-over and thought he had blown his chance.
“If I didn’t get in I could defend in Milwaukee instead so it’s a good spot to be in,” said Johnson, referring to his victory at the 2008 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. “I made one bad swing on my last hole and was unfortunate to make bogey but I’m playing great. I’ve never played an Open. It’s going to be really nice.”
Driscoll, who lost to Zach Johnson in a playoff two weeks ago at the Valero Texas Open, will make his first appearance at the Open Championship, along with Wilkinson, Laird and Johnson. Jacobson posted a bogey-free 7-under 64 and recorded just one bogey in 36-holes.
Danny Lee was in with a chance after his first round 66 but a 69 for a 135 total was three shots off the pace.
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Smail Qualifies for US Open26 May 2009
 New Zealand's highest-ranked golfer David Smail produced two exceptional rounds in Japan overnight (NZT) to qualify for next month's US Open.
World No 85 Smail rocketed clear of the field at a 36-hole sectional qualifier at the Ryugasaki Golf Club to qualify for the major tournament at Bethpage in New York starting on June 15.
He topped a 144-strong field at the qualifying event with a two round total of 11-under 133. The top five finishers all qualified.
The 39-year-old was five shots clear of second-placed Angelo Que of the Philippines.
A 17-year professional and veteran on the Japanese Tour, Smail will make just his third appearance at a major. He missed the cut in both the British Open and US Open in 2003.
The only other New Zealand golfer in the Bethpage field at this stage is Michael Campbell, who is exempt from qualifying after winning the tournament in 2005. top
Lee stumbles on final hole26 May 2009
 New Zealand golfer Danny Lee blew his chance for a top 10 PGA Tour finish with a double bogey on the final hole at the Byron Nelson Championship in Texas today.
Teenager Lee, in his third professional tournament, would have finished in a tie for eighth had he held on for par on the final hole, but the late hiccup instead left him in a tie for 13th.
He nevertheless closed the tournament with an impressive four-under par 66, which left him 10 shots from winner, South African Rory Sabatini, who had a last round 64 for a 261 total.
Lee collected four straight birdies between the seventh and 10th holes today.
He added another on the 14th before a bogey on the next halted his progress.
Successive birdies on the 16th and 17th holes saw him bounce back to six-under for the round, into a provisional tie for fifth.
On the 18th, Lee drove his tee shot 277 metres left into the rough, leaving him 105m from the pin.
He put his second shot to within 15m of the hole but needed a chip and three putts to get the ball in the hole.
Unofficially, Lee was estimated to have collected at least US$90,000 ($147,900) for his efforts.
Fellow New Zealander Tim Wilkinson had a solid three-under round of 67 containing four birdies and a solitary bogey.
It left him two shots overall behind Lee, in a tie for 23rd.
HP Byron Nelson Championship Final Scores top
Batty Through Sectional Qualifying for US Open21 May 2009
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Doug Batty | Northland's Doug Batty, resident in the US, has negotiated the sectional qualifying stage for the up-coming US Open in June.
Batty scored a 69 at Industry Hills Golf Club in California to be one of the five to move on to the next stage. American Michael Miles led the qualfier with a 67, there were two 68's then Batty's 69 and two others a stroke back. top
Lapsley in US PGA Senior Championship this Week18 May 2009
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Queenstown's Jim Lapsley | With his win in the New Zealand PGA Senior Championship at Wairakei earlier this year, Jim Lapsley has been successfully supported by his PGA in requesting and being granted a sponsor's invite in this weeks Senior Major event in the US.
The US Senior PGA Championship will be played at the Canterbury Golf Club, just outside of Cleveland in the state of Ohio. Jay Haas will be defending his title in the US$2,000,000 event.
Lapsley will be joining Bob Charles as the two Kiwis in the event, with a number of Australians, Wayne Grady, David Merriman, Mike Hawood and Greg Norman making up the down-under contingent.
Lapsley sent the following email to Geoff Smart, President of the PGA of NZ, saying...
"I would like to say thanks to my PGA for supporting my application for an invite to play in the US Senior PGA. As you may know by now they accepted my application. Noeleen and I are now in Cleveland. We only received the email at 8:30 on Tuesday morning and we left on Thursday at noon so it was a panic to get everything organised. It is a fantastic course, very difficult. Rough is 5" deep and very lush. Greens were running at 13 feet on the stimpmeter but they have had to slow them down to 11.5 feet. Have to remind myself that it was me that wanted to play in this.
Anyway hopefully it is the beginning of the US inviting the NZ Seniors PGA Champion to their event every year. Thanks again".
You can follow this event from Friday morning by logging on to www.pgatour.com Champions Tour. top
Hendry edges Fowler in sudden death to win Carrus Tauranga Open17 May 2009
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Michael Hendry | Twenty-nine year old North Harbour professional Michael Hendry made a clutch birdie on the first sudden death hole to claim his victory at the Carrus Tauranga Open.
Hendry and overnight leader Peter Fowler finished tied on 12-under par in a tight final round with six players within touch of the lead with four holes to play at Tauranga Golf Club.
The North Harbour player sank a 4m birdie attempt when they replayed the 18th hole to claim his first four-round professional victory in the opening tournament in the Charles Tour, a joint venture with New Zealand Golf and the PGA of New Zealand for professionals and elite amateurs, both male and female.
Hendry fired a two-under 68 in his final round while Fowler, the former New Zealand and Australian Open champion, could only manage a two-over
72 to drop back to the pack after taking a three shot lead into the last round.
The pair finished one shot ahead of Taihape’s Hamish Robertson and ex-Japan Tour professional Richard Lee with a further shot back to Wellington’s Andrew Green and Taupo’s Troy Ropiha who were tied for fifth.
Auckland-based Dominic Barson was alone in seventh on 271 after a final round one-under 69, a shot ahead of Waikato’s Brad Shilton and Wellington’s Brenden Stuart, who both bagged three-under 67s today.
The leading amateur was Tauranga’s Andrew Stewart (Omokoroa) in 10th place overall after firing the day’s low round of four-under 66, to finish on seven-under par 273. He was three shots ahead ahead of fellow Tauranga amateur James Hamilton.
Hendry said the win was a real boost after spending five months rebuilding his game under new coach Craig Dixon.
“Things were really bad and since last December we have basically changed everything in my game – my full swing through to my putting stroke,” Hendry said. “It’s been a huge amount of hard work, probably upwards of 50 hours a week of grinding. I can’t thank Craig enough because it has turned my game around.”
The North Harbour player did not think that Fowler would give him and the rest of the field an opening today after firing three consecutive low rounds.
“He didn’t play real good early on and that gave us a bit of a chance. It was nice to capitalise on a few good shots on the back nine and make some putts when it counted.
“It was really quite strange (in the playoff) as I was really calm. I don’t know why. I won a two-round tournament last year in a five-way playoff and drew on that a little bit.”
Hendry, who finished in a share of 10th place last year after leading going into the final round, says he has learned much.
“In a four-round tournament it is how you deal with the pressure, often more off the course, that is the key. I think I learned some pretty valuable lessons after last year.”
He will now plot a second attempt at qualifying at the USPGA Tour, after getting through to the second stage four years ago.
Fowler, who had dropped just one shot in his first three rounds, made two bogeys on the birdie-friendly opening eight holes to drop back to the pack, turning at 12-under and one shot ahead of Robertson, Lee, Hendry and Green.
The Auckland-based Australian, who will attempt his fortunes on the Seniors Tour in Europe and hopefully US later this year, had plenty of good looks at birdies on the back nine without fortune.
Hendry made a superb birdie on the par-4 16th after a wide tee shot while Fowler lipped out, to take the lead for the first time at 13-under.
The North Harbour player gave it back after a wayward drive on the 17th when Fowler showed his renowned class from the rough. Both missed birdie chances on the last hole to send the game into sudden death.
The Charles Tour returns in the spring with the Youthtown Wairakei Open, Taranaki Open and Shirley Open in Christchurch.
Final Scores, Professionals in BOLD, par 70:
268 Michael Hendry (P, North Harbour) 67 68 65 68, Peter Fowler (P, Australia) 65 65 66 72,
269 Hamish Robertson (P, Taihape) 69 65 65 70, Richard Lee (P, North Harbour) 69 67 66 67
270 Andrew Green (P, Wellington) 66 69 67 68, Troy Ropiha (P, Wairakei) 66 68 69 67
271 Dominic Barson (P, Auckland) 71 64 67 69
272 Brad Shilton (P, Waikato) 69 68 68 67, Brenden Stuart (P, Wellington) 72 66 67 67
273 Andrew Stewart (Omokoroa) 71 70 66 66
274 Jared Pender (P, Tauranga) 67 66 68 73, Mahal Pearce (P, Dunedin) 69 66 69 70, Josh Carmichael (P, North Harbour) 67 70 68 69
275 Grant Moorhead (P, New Plymouth) 72 67 65 71, Aaron Leech (Cambridge) 67 69 72 67
276 James Hamilton (Omanu) 69 68 68 71, Andrew Searle (P, Cambridge) 68 71 66 71, Dale Clarke (P, Australia) 67 75 65 69, Simon Brownlee (Gulf Harbour) 68 67 72 69
278 Kevin Budden (Waitemata) 70 72 68 68, Bradley Kendall (Mt Maunganui) 67 72 71 68, Nick Davey (P, Te Puke) 68 72 70 68
279 Blair Shaw (P, Hawkes Bay) 65 69 71 74, Ben Wallace (Auckland) 72 69 67 71, Gary John Hill (Sherwood Park) 73 67 69 70, Ben Gallie (P, Otago) 70 70 71 68
280 Scott Hill (P, Auckland) 70 70 69 71, Riki Borell (P, Nelson) 69 72 70 69
281 Marcus Wheelhouse (P, Auckland) 72 66 70 73, Mathew Perry (Hamilton) 68 72 69 72, Ryan Fox (Auckland) 68 73 69 71, Clarke Osborne (P, Auckland) 68 73 71 69, Alex Tait (P, Northland) 72 72 68 69
282 Jon Bevitt (P, Auckland) 73 69 68 72, Riki Kauika (P, Wanganui) 72 71 68 71
284 Jonathon Ratcliffe (Akarana) 74 66 72 72, Scott Johnson (Muriwai) 71 74 68 71, Hogan Cho (P, Auckland) 71 73 70 70, Jim Cusdin (P, Hamilton) 76 67 72 69
285 Jason Mann (Auckland) 72 68 71 74, Lachie McDonald (Marton) 73 71 68 73, Stuart Reese (P, North Harbour) 69 72 72 72, Thomas Lannie (P, North Harbour) 72 70 71 72, Scott Wightman (Muriwai) 72 70 73 70
286 Brad Hayward (New Plymouth) 68 72 71 75, Scott Overend (P, North Harbour) 71 72 75 68
287 Jay Carter (P, Tauranga) 72 67 70 78, Ben Taylor (Omokoroa) 72 70 72 73, Wataru Saito (Hamilton) 68 77 73 69, Pieter Zwart (Waipukurau) 72 72 75 68
288 Blair Murdock (Tauranga) 69 72 72 75, Jonti Philipson (P, Masterton) 70 73 72 73
289 Mike Boshoff (P, Christchurch) 71 73 71 74, James Davis (North Shore) 77 68 72 72
290 Mark Smith (P, Springfield) 73 71 71 75, Andrew Henare (P, Hastings) 72 72 71 75, Mark Speedy (Auckland) 73 67 75 75
291 Seve Ha (Akarana) 73 71 74 73
292 Peter Lee (Springfield) 72 71 74 75, Richard Anderson (P, Wanaka) 71 74 75 72
293 Leonard Morgan (Cambridge) 73 71 71 78
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Fowler Holds Off Challengers, Final Day Beckons 16 May 2009
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PGA Order of Merit Leader Michael Hendry | Auckland-based Australian Peter Fowler shot a four under par 66 and will take a three shot lead into tomorrow’s final round of the Carrus Tauranga Open.
Leading by three shots overnight, Fowler saw his lead cut to just one after 10 holes from a chasing trio of PGA pros in Jared Pender, Dominic Barson and Hamish Robertson.
However the former Australian and New Zealand Open champion re-discovered his touch around the greens on the more difficult back nine at Tauranga Golf Club, making three birdies in five holes to finish at 14-under par after 54 holes.
He will take a three shot buffer into the final round from Robertson with North Harbour professional Mike Hendry a shot back on 10-under in this opening tournament of the 2009 Charles Tour,the joint venture by New Zealand Golf and the NZPGA which was established to provide elite competition for professionals and amateurs, both male and female.
Pender finished with a two-under 68 today to be along in fourth place on nine-under, a shot ahead of a trio of professionals including Barson, Wellington’s Andrew Green and former Japan touring professional Richard Lee.
Taupo’s Troy Ropiha is eighth on seven-under, a shot ahead of Mahal Pearce, the former New Zealand Open winner, and Grant Moorhead, last year’s NZPGA Order of Merit winner on six under.
The leading amateur is local Tauranga player James Hamilton, who fired a two-under 68 today to be in a share of 11th place on five-under.
Meanwhile the women’s contest, run over 54 holes, was dominated by the inform Cecilia Cho. The Pakuranga 140year-old, who won the New Zealand Amateur title two weeks ago, shot a final round even-par 71 to finish on three-under for three rounds. She was six shots ahead of second placed Lydia Ko, the 12-year-old from Pupuke, who finished runner-up to Cho at the New Zealand Amateur. The 2006 New Zealand Amateur winner Larissa Eruera (Aviation) was third on six-over par.
Fowler said he concentrated on his own game today and was not aware of the chasers coming at him. “I didn’t see any leaderboards so was just playing my own game and you can only do as good as you can,” Fowler said. “I didn’t make the birdies early but didn’t look like dropping any shots. I putted a bit better on the back nine which was good. For me I have not played for a couple of months as I come back from the hip surgery. Physically I am not at 100 per cent although I am not bad. In light of that I am pretty happy with my progress.”
Robertson and Hendry are both looking forward to playing in the final group tomorrow after both fired impressive five-under par 65s today.
Hendry was two-under at the turn but made three birdies in his last six holes which pleased him. “I played really solid although I missed a few chances in the middle of the round. I was really pleased with how I came back though,” Hendry said.
Robertson, who celebrated his 29th birthday yesterday, made a hot start with four birdies in his first six holes and finished with seven birdies in all with two dropped shots. “It was great playing with Fowler, He is such a professional bloke and I learned a lot,” Robertson said. “I was really happy with my play today. I started well, had a couple of hiccups but I was pleased that I was able to pick things up again. It’s the first time that I’ve been in a final group in a four-round professional event so I am looking forward to it.”
Scores after the third day, Professionals in BOLD
196 Peter Fowler (P, Australia) 65 65 66
199 Hamish Robertson (P, Taihape) 69 65 65
200 Michael Hendry (P, North Harbour) 67 68 65
201 Jared Pender (P, Tauranga) 67 66 68
202 Andrew Green (P, Wellington) 66 69 67, Dominic Barson (P, Auckland) 71 64 67, Richard Lee (P, North Harbour) 69 67 66
203 Troy Ropiha (P, Wairakei) 66 68 69
204 Mahal Pearce (P, Dunedin) 69 66 69, Grant Moorhead (P, New Plymouth) 72 67 65
205 Blair Shaw (P, Hawkes Bay) 65 69 71, Josh Carmichael (P, North Harbour) 67 70 68, Brad Shilton (P, Waikato) 69 68 68, James Hamilton (Omanu) 69 68 68, Brenden Stuart (P, Wellington) 72 66 67, Andrew Searle (P, Cambridge) 68 71 66
207 Andrew Stewart (Omokoroa) 71 70 66, Dale Clarke (P, Australia) 67 75 65, Simon Brownlee (Gulf Harbour) 68 67 72
208 Aaron Leech (Cambridge) 67 69 72, Marcus Wheelhouse (P, Auckland) 72 66 70, Ben Wallace (Auckland) 72 69 67
209 Jay Carter (P, Tauranga) 72 67 70, Mathew Perry (Hamilton) 68 72 69, Scott Hill (P, Auckland) 70 70 69, Gary John Hill (Sherwood Park) 73 67 69
210 Ryan Fox (Auckland) 68 73 69, Kevin Budden (Waitemata) 70 72 68, Jon Bevitt (P, Auckland) 73 69 68, Bradley Kendall (Mt Maunganui) 67 72 71, Nick Davey (P, Te Puke) 68 72 70
211 Riki Kauika (P, Wanganui) 72 71 68, Brad Hayward (New Plymouth) 68 72 71, Jason Mann (Auckland) 72 68 71, Ben Gallie (P, Otago) 70 70 71, Riki Borell (P, Nelson) 69 72 70
212 Clarke Osborne (P, Auckland) 68 73 71, Alex Tait (P, Northland) 72 72 68, Lachie McDonald (Marton) 73 71 68, Jonathon Ratcliffe (Akarana) 74 66 72
213 Stuart Reese (P, North Harbour) 69 72 72, Thomas Lannie (P, North Harbour) 72 70 71, Scott Johnson (Muriwai) 71 74 68, Blair Murdock (Tauranga) 69 72 72
214 Ben Taylor (Omokoroa) 72 70 72, Hogan Cho (P, Auckland) 71 73 70
215 Scott Wightman (Muriwai) 72 70 73, Jonti Philipson (P, Masterton) 70 73 72, Jim Cusdin (P, Hamilton) 76 67 72, Leonard Morgan (Cambridge) 73 71 71, Mark Smith (P, Springfield) 73 71 71, Andrew Henare (P, Hastings) 72 72 71, Mark Speedy (Auckland) 73 67 75, Mike Boshoff (P, Christchurch) 71 73 71
217 Peter Lee (Springfield) 72 71 74, James Davis (North Shore) 77 68 72
218 Scott Overend (P, North Harbour) 71 72 75, Seve Ha (Akarana) 73 71 74, Wataru Saito (Hamilton) 68 77 73
219 Pieter Zwart (Waipukurau) 72 72 75
220 Richard Anderson (P, Wanaka) 71 74 75
Women final completed after 54 holes, par 71:
210 Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga) 72 67 71
216 Lydia Ko (Pupuke) 72 71 73
219 Larissa Eruera (Aviation) 72 75 72
221 Tania Tare (Titirangi) 73 73 75
221 Zoe Brake (Whakatane) 75 77 69
226 Chantelle Cassidy (Tokoroa) 75 73 78
228 Faye Amy Nickson (Peninsula) 75 80 73
232 Emily Perry (Cambridge) 72 84 76
232 Courtney Manning (Peninsula) 78 79 75
251 Caroline Bon (Northland) 87 83 81
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Fowler Shows his Class in Carrus Tauranga Open15 May 2009
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Peter Fowler (courtesy Photosport) | (Day Two Report)
European Tour veteran Peter Fowler fired a second successive five-under par 65 to grab the lead at the midway stage of the Carrus Tauranga Open today.
The Auckland-domiciled Australian bagged six birdies and his first bogey of the tournament to clear out from his younger rivals in his first venture on to the Charles Tour, established to provide elite competition for professionals and amateurs, both male and female.
He has a three-shot lead over hometown favourite and fellow professional Jared Pender, who shot a four-under 66 at the Tauranga Golf Club.
A group of three players share third place on six-under consisting of young professionals Blair Shaw (Cape Kidnappers), Hamish Robertson (Taihape) and Troy Ropiha (Wairakei).
Five players share sixth place on five-under par including professionals Michael Hendry (North Harbour), Andrew Green (Wellington), Mahal Pearce (Dunedin) and Dominic Barson (Auckland), who had the low-round with a six-under 64 today.
The leading amateur is North Harbour’s Simon Brownlee, also on five-under, after a three-under 67 today.
Fowler produced another day of classy work around the greens with two birdies going out and mixing four birdies with a single bogey coming home. “I am really happy the way I have putted the last two days. It’s something that has not worked very well for the last six months to a year, so I am glad my putting touch is back in shape,” Fowler said. “I felt a bit more free today. I had a massage last night and saw a physio today to keep the rehab going. It was better today. I played with some great guys today – Mahal Pearce is a pure striker of the ball and I love watching Ryan Fox play. I love the attitude he plays with and overall a lot of fun. I haven’t been in the lead of anything for a long while so I am looking forward to that. I have to keep going and hopefully make plenty more birdies.”
Pender and Hendry pushed each other up the leaderboard, with the Tauranga-based Pender, New Zealand’s leading player in last year’s world amateur championship, unable to take advantage of his final four holes, dropping one shot and settling for a par on the receptive par-5 6th.
Pender said he drew motivation from playing with Hendry.“We got some strength off each other. When one of us made birdie it pushed the other one,” Pender said. “I didn’t finish as I wanted but overall I am pretty happy with my play and the position I’m in.”
Shaw, the joint overnight leader with Fowler, remained in touch, as did Ropiha, while Robertson impressed with the best of the morning rounds with a five-under 65. The Taihape-based golfer fired seven birdies with a double bogey at the 17th proving costly.
A number of players made moves but some costly mistakes in the closing holes dented their chances including Grant Moorhead who shot thee-under 67 but dropped two shots in the last four holes, and Ropiha who bogeyed his last holes and Hendry who made a double in his penultimate hole.
New Zealand women’s amateur champion Cecilia Cho produced a stunning four-under 67, including playing near the back of the field in the rain and dim light, to take a four shot lead.
Cho fired five birdies and a solitary bogey in a superb performance to again show her outstanding potential.
Twelve-year-old Lydia Ko (Puke) is second on one-over after an even-par 71 today with Titirangi’s Tania Tare a further three shots back going into their final round tomorrow.
Sixty-one men made the cut at five-over for their final 36 holes tomorrow and Sunday including Auckland’s Mark Speedy who fired a three-under 67 today including back-to-back eagles at the par-4 10th and 11th holes.
Scores PGA Professionals in Bold (Cut at 145)
130 Peter Fowler (P Australia) 65 65
133 Jared Pender (P Tauranga) 67 66
134 Hamish Robertson (P Taihape) 69 65, Troy Ropiha (P Wairakei) 66 68, Blair Shaw (P Hawkes Bay) 65 69
135 Andrew Green (P Wellington) 66 69, Simon Brownlee (Gulf Harbour) 68 67, Michael Hendry (P North Harbour) 67 68, Mahal Pearce (P Dunedin) 69 66, Dominic Barson (P Auckland) 71 64
136 Richard Lee (P North Harbour) 69 67, Aaron Leech (Cambridge) 67 69
137 Josh Carmichael (P North Harbour) 67 70, Brad Shilton (P Waikato) 69 68, James Hamilton (Omanu) 69 68
138 Marcus Wheelhouse (P Auckland) 72 66, Brenden Stuart (P Wellington) 72 66
139 Grant Moorhead (P New Plymouth) 72 67, Andrew Searle (P Cambridge) 68 71, Jay Carter (P Tauranga) 72 67, Bradley Kendall (Mt Maunganui) 67 72
140 Brad Hayward (New Plymouth) 68 72, Matthew Perry (Hamilton) 68 72, Scott Hill (P Auckland) 70 70, Mark Speedy (Auckland) 73 67, Jason Mann (Auckland) 72 68, Ben Gallie (P Otago) 70 70, Gary John Hill (Sherwood Park) 73 67, Nick Davey (P Te Puke) 68 72, Jonathon Ratcliffe (Akarana) 74 66
141 Blair Murdock (Tauranga) 69 72, Ben Wallace (Auckland) 72 69, Riki Borell (P Nelson) 69 72, Clarke Osborne (P Auckland) 68 73, Andrew Stewart (Omokoroa) 71 70, Ryan Fox (Auckland) 68 73, Stuart Reese (P North Harbour) 69 72
142 Dale Clarke (P Australia) 67 75, Kevin Budden (Waitemata) 70 72, Jon Bevitt (P Auckland) 73 69, Thomas Lannie (P North Harbour) 72 70, Ben Taylor (Omokoroa) 72 70, Scott Wightman (Muriwai) 72 70
143 Jonti Philipson (P Masterton) 70 73, Riki Kauika(P Wanganui) 72 71, Peter Lee (Springfield) 72 71, Jim Cusdin (P Hamilton) 76 67, Scott Overend (P North Harbour) 71 72
144 Leonard Morgan (Cambridge) 73 71, Mark Smith (P Springfield) 73 71, Seve Ha (Akarana) 73 71, Pieter Zwart (Waipukurau) 72 72, Alex Tait (P Northland) 72 72, Hogan Cho (P Auckland) 71 73, Andrew Henare (P Hastings) 72 72, Lachie McDonald (Marton) 73 71, Mike Boshoff (P Christchurch) 71 73
145 Wataru Saito (Hamilton) 68 77, Scott Johnson (Muriwai) 71 74, James Davis (North Shore) 77 68, Richard Anderson (P Wanaka) 71 74
Women par 71:
139 Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga) 72 67
143 Lydia Ko (Pupuke) 72 71
146 Tania Tare (Titirangi) 73 73
147 Larissa Eruera (Aviation) 72 75
148 Chantelle Cassidy (Tokoroa) 75 73
152 Zoe Brake (Whakatane) 75 77
155 Faye Amy Nickson (Peninsula) 75 80
156 Emily Perry (Cambridge) 72 84
157 Courtney Manning (Peninsula) 78 79
170 Caroline Bon (Northland) 87 83
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Fowler and Shaw share first round lead in Carrus Tauranga Open14 May 2009
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Blair Shaw | (story courtesy of Ian Hepinstall)
Former New Zealand Open winner Peter Fowler and fellow professional Blair Shaw (Cape Kidnappers) took advantage of the still morning conditions to lead after the first round of the Carrus Tauranga Open today.
Fowler, the European Tour veteran, and Shaw both fired five-under par 65s in the opening tournament of the 2009 Charles Tour at Tauranga Golf Club today.
They hold a one shot advantage over Wellington professional Andrew Green, the 2006 New Zealand Amateur champion, and last year’s Taranaki Open winner, professional Troy Ropiha, who were the best of the afternoon players.
There is a group of six players who share fifth place on three-under 67 that includes leading amateurs Aaron Leech (Cambridge) and Mt Maunganui teenager Brad Kendall along with professionals Dale Clarke (Australia), North Harbour’s Michael Hendry and Josh Carmichael and local hope Jared Pender.
In all there were 31 players on par of better on a Tauranga course that was receptive after the wet weather at the weekend, although the cool winds proved testing later in the afternoon to thwart a number of promising charges.
The highlight of the morning round was a hole-in-one by Shaw at the par-3 fifth hole in a round that also included four birdies and one dropped shot.
“I struck my irons well and hit them on the correct side of the hole,” Shaw said. “And I hit a hole in one. I didn’t even see it land. When we got to the green there was a pitch mark six inches from the hole and the ball was in the bottom of the cup.”
Shaw has promised much but his temperament has sometimes proved his downfall. ”The key to me was just getting the right mindset,” Shaw said. “I am trying to put it all together in a tournament and stay relaxed and positive. It’s about believing that if I stuck to my game plan, hit the shots I wanted to and if it didn’t happen then stay, stay patient and it will come.”
Fowler, recovering from recent hip surgery, is using his first foray into the Charles Tour to work his way back to full fitness as he eyes a move to the European Seniors Tour and hopefully the US Seniors this year.
The former New Zealand and Australian Open champion fired an eagle and three birdies in a blemish-free round. “I was pretty happy to get off to a good start,” Fowler said. “It’s early days for me but I was reasonably happy with how I scored. I need to hit the ball a lot better yet but I am still a bit stiff coming back from the hip surgery. It’s still a couple of months away from peak fitness for me.”
Fowler is a fan of the Charles Tour concept.“It’s the first time I have played this course and the first time in this Tour with the amateurs playing which is good fun because I know a few of the young amateurs. I think the concept is great. In my years in Europe it is the same concept that is played in Sweden and works well. I think the country the size of New Zealand it is the only way it should go.”
The 10-strong women’s field, who will play over 54 holes, sees four players tied for the lead on one-over par including New Zealand Amateur champion Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga), the runner-up Lydia Ko (Pupuke), the 2006 amateur champion Larissa Eruera (Aviation0 and Srixon Academy player Emily Perry (Lochiel).
Leading scores after the first day of the Carrus Tauranga Open
65 Blair Shaw (P, Hawkes Bay), Peter Fowler (P, Australia)
66 Andrew Green (P, Wellington), Troy Ropiha (P, Wairakei)
67 Aaron Leech (Cambridge), Jared Pender (P, Tauranga), Michael Hendry (P, North Harbour), Bradley Kendall (Mt Maunganui), Dale Clarke (P, Australia), Josh Carmichael (P, North Harbour)
68 Simon Brownlee (Gulf Harbour), Nick Davey (P, Te Puke), Ryan Fox (Auckland), Wataru Saito (Hamilton), Brad Hayward (New Plymouth), Matthew Perry (Hamilton), Andrew Searle (P, Cambridge), Clarke Osborne (P, Auckland)
69 Brad Shilton (P, Waikato), James Hamilton (Omanu), Mahal Pearce (P, Dunedin, Stuart Reese (P, North Harbour), Blair Murdock (Tauranga), Hamish Robertson (P, Taihape), Richard Lee (P, North Harbour), Riki Borell (P, Nelson)
70 Ben Gallie (P, Otago), Kevin Budden (Waitemata), Brad Bonnington (Maungakiekie), Jonti Philipson (P, Masterton), Scott Hill (P, Auckland)
71 Hogan Cho (P, Auckland), Andrew Stewart (Omokoroa), Dominic Barson (P, Auckland), Scott Overend (P, North Harbour), Richard Anderson (P, Wanaka), Mike Boshoff (P, Christchurch)
71 Andrew Gurney (P, Tauranga), Scott Johnson (Muriwai), Sean Riordan (Takaka)
72 Thomas Lannie (P, North Harbour), Andrew Henare (P, Hastings), Ho Jun Sung (Hamilton), Jason McIntosh (P, Taupo), Jason Mann (Auckland), Jay Carter (P, Tauranga), Keiran Muir (Omokoroa), Scott McAlpine (North Shore), Ben Taylor (Omokoroa), Brenden Stuart (P, Wellington), Brett Allan (P, North Harbour), Scott Wightman (Muriwai), Tom Brocklesby (Karori), Ben Shanly (Tauranga), Ben Wallace (Auckland), Marcus Wheelhouse (P, Auckland), Pieter Zwart (Waipukurau), Alex Tait (P, Northland), Andy Gang (P, Auckland), Daniel Pearce (Hastings), Grant Moorhead (P, New Plymouth), Luke Nobilo (P, Auckland), Riki Kauika (P, Wanganui), George Kinghorn (Tauranga), Peter Lee (Springfield).
Women, par 71:
72 Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga), Larissa Eruera (Aviation), Emily Perry, (Cambridge), Lydia Ko (Pupuke)
73 Tania Tare (Titirangi)
75 Zoe Brake (Whakatane), Faye Amy Nickson (Peninsula), Chantelle Cassidy (Tokoroa)
78 Courtney Manning (Peninsula)
87 Caroline Bon (Northland)
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Shaw Holes in One to Share Carrus Tauranga Open Lead14 May 2009
Former New Zealand Open winner Peter Fowler and fellow professional Blair Shaw (Cape Kidnappers) hold the clubhouse lead during the first round of the Carrus Tauranga Open today.
Fowler, the European Tour veteran, and Shaw both fired five-under par 65s in the opening tournament of the 2009 Charles Tour at Tauranga Golf Club today.
They hold a two shot advantage over a group of five players from those who have completed their morning rounds.
That includes the leading amateurs Aaron Leech (Cambridge) and Brad Kendall (Mt Maunganui) along with professionals Michael Hendry and Josh Carmichael (both North Harbour) and local Tauranga favourite Jared Pender.
However Australian-based professional Blair Clarke has started his afternoon round on fire, going through 10 holes at four-under.
The highlight of the morning round was a hole-in-one by Shaw at the par-3 third hole in his round that also included four birdies and one dropped shot.
Fowler, recovering from recent hip surgery, fired an eagle and three birdies in a blemish-free round in his first taste of the Charles Tour and first time at Tauranga Golf Club.
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Gill Makes Cut in First EuroPro Tour Event8 May 2009
Rookie New Zealand professional James Gill shakily made the cut in the first event of the Europro Tour at Collingtree Park in Northampton, England today. The Hamilton player shot an even par 72 to end the day in a tie for 46th. The top 50 plus ties make the cut.
Gill’s first round 77 yesterday made up of a double and five bogies with two birdies, looked to have scuttled his debut on the world’s leading developmental tour...but a solid second round of three bogies and three birdies, means he’s in with a shot at a portion of the $100,000 prizemoney pot.
Gill again started slowly today off the back nine and was six over for his round at the turn before picking up a shot coming home to get inside the cut line.
England’s Christopher Hanson leads on seven under after rounds of 70 and 67, five shots clear of three English players George Woolgar, Kevin Harper and Paul Streeter.
Gill is the only Kiwi in the field. The 23-year-old has an exemption into the Europro Tour after finishing in the top 30 at qualifying school early last month. The tour consists of 12 tournaments across the UK and Ireland.
The 54-hole tournament ends tomorrow and the tour heads to Ireland for the $100,000 Faithlegg championship at Waterford starting next Wednesday (UK time).
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Kiwis Feature in Papua New Guinea Open3 May 2009
Brad Shilton of Te Awamutu was the leading New Zealander in the South Pacific Export Lager PNG Open, finishing in 5th position, five under par and seven behind the outright winner Michael Wright from Queensland.
Josh Carmichael (North Harbour) was valiant in the defence of his title, but a closing round of 75 meant that he never really challenged on the last day.
Doug Holloway (Hawkes Bay) was well back at the half way mark, but finished strong with two sub par rounds to climb into a tied 15th position, while New Zealand Order of Merit leader Michael Hendry (North Harbour) finished in 18th equal placing.
Other Kiwis in the field were Mark Boe (Hamilton) on 295 and Hamish Robertson (Taihape) 297.
Top 20 are listed here, with scores and prize money.
1 Michael J Wright QLD 67 70 69 70 276 $18,039.60
2 Samuel C Brazel NSW 70 67 70 71 278 $10,823.76
T 3 Heath D Reed VIC 72 69 68 72 281 $5,953.07
T 3 Jason Ashcroft NSW 72 67 69 73 281 $5,953.07
5 Brad Shilton NZ 74 69 70 70 283 $4,169.15
6 Brendan K Chant SA 73 71 70 71 285 $3,828.40
7 Bradley Andrews QLD 70 73 72 71 286 $3,427.52
8 Daniel J Stevenson QLD 70 70 75 72 287 $2,986.56
T 9 Aaron Black NSW 73 74 73 68 288 $2,112.64
T 9 Eddie Barr QLD 74 69 71 74 288 $2,112.64
T 9 Joshua Carmichael NZ 69 73 71 75 288 $2,112.64
T 9 Nathan Main QLD 72 71 72 73 288 $2,112.64
T 9 Richard Backwell QLD 73 74 72 69 288 $2,112.64
14 Shaun G Harmer QLD 77 66 72 74 289 $1,483.26
T 15 Douglas R Holloway NZ 77 73 69 71 290 $1,362.99
T 15 Simon Furneaux NSW 70 71 77 72 290 $1,362.99
17 Wade P Brunjes QLD 75 72 74 71 292 $1,262.77
T 18 Benjamin J Bloomfield QLD 73 74 75 71 293 $1,149.19
T 18 Brad Mcintosh NSW 75 75 70 73 293 $1,149.19
T 18 Michael J Hendry NZ 72 74 75 72 293 $1,149.19
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Smail Second in Japan28 Apr 2009
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David Smail | New Zealand’s David Smail has finished two shots behind winner Masaya Tomida after Tomida fired a sizzling 7-under-par 64 to capture his first career title at the rain-shortened Tsuruya Open in Japan on Sunday.
Tomida overturned a four-shot deficit with an eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys at Yamanohara Golf Club to win the event that was shortened to 54 holes after heavy rain forced the cancellation of Saturday's third round.
Smail, a four time winner on the Japan Golf Tour finished in second place on 13 under par with Japan’s Tomohiro Kondo closing with a 66 to tie for third on 201 with second-round leader Yui Ueda, who had an even-par 71.
Australian Steve Conran was one of four players who finished in a tie for fifth a further four shots back. Queenslander Wayne Perske finished T15 on six under with three time winner of the event Brendan Jones a further shot back and T17.
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Brad Iles’ Big Week27 Apr 2009
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Brad Iles | Brad Iles has shot a 2 under par 70 last round to finish 8 under and in 6th equal spot at the South Georgia Classic on the Nationwide Tour. Previous rounds were 70 69 71.
A great result, but what a way to get there!
His week began on the Monday, with Iles having to attempt to pre-qualify, the third attempt in three weeks since his arrival in the US.
This week was significant as it was the last event prior to the first re-rank for the 2009 season and without a dollar earned to date the future would be pre qualifying for at least the next 5 events.
309 players attempted to pre qualify for the South Georgia Classic with two courses being used and seven spots up for grabs at each course. Iles shot a 5 under 67 at the Doublegate Country Club and was off the course just before midday thinking he had a chance.
You literally have to shoot the lights out at the pre qualifiers to get a start, with 7 under and 9 respectively under the lowest scores this week.
Iles went off and watched two movies with Josh Geary, who unfortunately missed qualifying, before heading back to the course to find that he was 7th equal with 7 other players and in a multiple playoff for just the one spot.
We don’t have the details other than the fact that he obviously beat off the others and lined up in the main event.
Making the cut was his major priority, but now that all changed, as he started off with a first round of two under par 70, followed by a 69 and making the cut for the weekend.
At one stage in the third round Iles was at four under par but slipped back to a 71, leaving him in 10th place with a round to play.
In his final round he got off to a flyer, starting par, birdie, birdie, birdie, slipped a little but finished with a 70 and his 6th equal placing.
So after finishing last year with a conditional card that wouldn’t have ended up providing any starts this year, and until this week not making the cut at the HSBC PGA Championship or NZ Open, Iles has gone from having $0 earnings to picking up a cheque for about US$20K. Once the re-rnaking is done Iles will now find himself having starts for all remaining events for the 2009 season, which is a total of 20 events and provides an opportunity to gain a tour card for either the US Tour or Nationwide Tour for 2010.
Garth Mulroy one of Iles’ mates who played on the Asian Tour won the event at 13 under par.
Grant Waite and Phil Tataurangi also played in the event but missed the cut.
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