Brown defends his Carrus Open title

CHAMPION: Mark Brown has won back-to-back Carus Open titles at Tauranga Golf Club. PHOTO/GEORGE NOVAK.

Mark Brown has won the opening leg of the Jennian Homes Charles Tour in Tauranga today. Playing an outstanding round in difficult conditions, Brown has now achieved back to back Carrus Open wins.

There was no lack of drama at the business end of the tournament around the Tauranga Golf Club. The weather offered wind and rain at random throughout the final day which made for a very challenging finish. As the final group played the 17th it turned into torrential rain and the greens flooded making the course impossible to play.

Once we were able to continue, Brown calmly closed it out in front of a large local crowd.

"Its amazing support here at the club from all the members so it's great to do it in front of them and really exciting timing with the end of the year coming up as well," said Brown.

"The rain was probably a good thing for me, I took five minutes to chill out because I didn't hit a very good shot into 17, it was pouring down and luckily after that I made the putt."

Now a four time winner on the Jennian Homes Charles Tour, Brown showed class as he shot a 68 two under par round. In 2006 he won in Taranaki, his maiden Carrus Open win came in 2012 followed by another in 2014 and now his third title in 2015.

"Yeah it was tough with a lot of wind starting out, so scoring was going to be different to other rounds. I didn't get off to a particularly fast start which you want to do around here, it was just about hanging in and keeping the boys at bay.

"This year was a bit different and I had to hit some pretty good shots in these conditions, I didn't get a lot going today, but enough!"

Brown's schedule doesn't get any quieter as he will build a lot of airpoints in the next couple of months.

"The coming months are pretty full on with the Dunhill Links next week and then Australia, Fiji, Asia and then followed by the final stage of European Qualifying School from there."

Jim Cusdin finished second alongside leading amateur Joshua Munn. Cusdin started the round roaring with a hole out on the par four second for eagle and after ten holes he was sitting four under for the day and with only the one blemish on the card resulting in him falling just short.

Omanu's Alanna Campbell has joined Mark Brown and gone back to back, just on a different level. Campbell has won two Jennian Homes Charles Tour events in a row after winning at Muriwai back in May this year.

"It feels great I guess, it hasn't really sunk in yet. I got my way around and did what I needed to do.

"It was pretty cool, Dad came out and brother Shaun who is in the men's grade and played well this weekend, but having Mum on the bag is pretty awesome as well!" said an elated Campbell.

Paul Adams from Carrus has played a massive hand in the local tournament. He not only offered up prize money for if the course record was broken again, Adam's has given away $500 vouchers for each player who recorded a hole in one this week. This was an all-time high of three players - Sam Vincent, Jill Morgan and Thai Tongdethsri.

Final Scores after four rounds
Tauranga Golf Club, Par 70

266 Mark Brown (P) 67 65 66 68
267 Jim Cusdin (P) 65 71 64 67, Joshua Munn (Manawatu) 66 63 69 69
268 Nick Gillespie (P) 71 68 65 64
269 Ryan Chisnall (Greenacres) 67 65 70 67, Nick Coxon (Riverside) 67 65 69 68
271 Jared Pender (P) 66 70 67 68, Harry Bateman (P) 74 63 66 68, Johnny Tynan (Titirangi) 67 66 65 73
272 Hayden Beard (P) 68 69 69 66, Doug Holloway (P) 68 70 67 67

Women's Carrus Open
Final Scores after four rounds
Tauranga Golf Club, Par 72

288 Alanna Campbell (Omanu) 72 69 72 75
290 Grace Senior (Wairakei International Golf Course) 72 72 75 71, Rose Zheng (Pakuranga) 70 71 74 75, Momoka Kobori (Rangiora) 71 69 75 75
291 Chantelle Cassidy (Cambridge) 75 77 69 70
301 Emmalee Morrell (Tauranga) 75 71 78 77