NEW ZEALANDER PADDISON WINS VICTORIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
FROM THE STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE
Gareth Paddison protected his three-shot overnight advantage to clinch the Victorian PGA Championship in Australia today, though only just after negotiating a bogey-strewn obstacle course to the clubhouse at Forest Resort.
The New Zealand left hander ultimately prevailed by a stroke, his cause aided when playing partner James McLean triple-bogeyed the last to slump into a tie for seventh.
Paddison bogeyed the 18th - he could not make par on four of the last six holes - but that was immaterial as he pipped Leighton Lyle who had practically stowed away his clubs before the final pairing started to implode on the back nine.
The 31-year-old from Lower Hutt surrendered six shots on the final six holes and the predicament would have been worse had he not drilled a 10-footer to save par on the 17th.
Paddison's round threatened to spiral out of control when he triple-bogeyed the par 3, 13th.
"Unfortunately I went over the back and got penalised for it. I was 30 metres over the back in the hay, you're stuffed out the back there," he said.
Paddison shrugged off that setback but when a "horrible" lie in a bunker on the 15th proved the catalyst for another bogey, for the first time he felt "golf wasn't smiling on me."
The game was certainly taking a dim view of McLean, who endured a nightmarish journey up the 18th fairway. He struck the tree line off the tee and then had to extricate himself from two bunkers before lurching to the green and two-putting.
"It was a comedy of errors on the last for him. I really did feel for him, he didn't deserve that sort of finish," Paddison said.
"That's the way it goes. Leading by three shots it was mine to lose and I just about did that by getting a bit unlucky."
Paddison closed with a three-over 74 to be seven-under for the tournament, Lyle's two-under 69 earned him outright second in the $A125,000 tournament.
The Australian was a shot clear of a cluster at five-under including compatriots Peter O'Malley and David McKenzie - the big movers on the final day with five-under 66s.
Paddison appeared to be coasting to the title after picking up three birdies in the first eight holes but a bogey on the 11th hinted victory would not be a formality.
But despite his unconvincing finish Paddison took "a huge amount of confidence" into the defence of his Queensland PGA Championship title in Toowoomba this week.
Meanwhile, Daniel Pearce was the pick of the New Zealand amateur contingent contesting the 117th Riversdale Cup in Melbourne.
Pearce finished in a tie for seventh at 6-under, 13 strokes behind Jake Higginbottom from New South Wales.
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES IN THE VICTORIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
CLICK HERE
Gareth Paddison protected his three-shot overnight advantage to clinch the Victorian PGA Championship in Australia today, though only just after negotiating a bogey-strewn obstacle course to the clubhouse at Forest Resort.
The New Zealand left hander ultimately prevailed by a stroke, his cause aided when playing partner James McLean triple-bogeyed the last to slump into a tie for seventh.
Paddison bogeyed the 18th - he could not make par on four of the last six holes - but that was immaterial as he pipped Leighton Lyle who had practically stowed away his clubs before the final pairing started to implode on the back nine.
The 31-year-old from Lower Hutt surrendered six shots on the final six holes and the predicament would have been worse had he not drilled a 10-footer to save par on the 17th.
Paddison's round threatened to spiral out of control when he triple-bogeyed the par 3, 13th.
"Unfortunately I went over the back and got penalised for it. I was 30 metres over the back in the hay, you're stuffed out the back there," he said.
Paddison shrugged off that setback but when a "horrible" lie in a bunker on the 15th proved the catalyst for another bogey, for the first time he felt "golf wasn't smiling on me."
The game was certainly taking a dim view of McLean, who endured a nightmarish journey up the 18th fairway. He struck the tree line off the tee and then had to extricate himself from two bunkers before lurching to the green and two-putting.
"It was a comedy of errors on the last for him. I really did feel for him, he didn't deserve that sort of finish," Paddison said.
"That's the way it goes. Leading by three shots it was mine to lose and I just about did that by getting a bit unlucky."
Paddison closed with a three-over 74 to be seven-under for the tournament, Lyle's two-under 69 earned him outright second in the $A125,000 tournament.
The Australian was a shot clear of a cluster at five-under including compatriots Peter O'Malley and David McKenzie - the big movers on the final day with five-under 66s.
Paddison appeared to be coasting to the title after picking up three birdies in the first eight holes but a bogey on the 11th hinted victory would not be a formality.
But despite his unconvincing finish Paddison took "a huge amount of confidence" into the defence of his Queensland PGA Championship title in Toowoomba this week.
Meanwhile, Daniel Pearce was the pick of the New Zealand amateur contingent contesting the 117th Riversdale Cup in Melbourne.
Pearce finished in a tie for seventh at 6-under, 13 strokes behind Jake Higginbottom from New South Wales.
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES IN THE VICTORIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
CLICK HERE
Labels: PRO GOLF
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, February 19, 2012
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