Golf: Holloway, Duff on fire

Stuart Duff

Less can sometimes mean more as Hawke's Bay professional Doug Holloway is finding out in a Palmerston North tournament.

Holloway, who found the ideal distraction on his parent's sheep and cattle farm in the off season, yesterday carded a bogey-free four-under par 68 at a windswept Manawatu Golf Club to establish a four-shot lead at the LawnMaster Classic.

The 30-year-old from Te Pohue, who alluded to the benefits of rural existence too while eking out a living in golf, holds a four-shot advantage over professional Dongwoo Kang (South Korea) with Richard Lee (Auckland) and amateur Vaughan McCall (Gore) a further shot back at the halfway stage.

Hokowhitu course record holder and 2013 runner-up Luke Toomey, an amateur from Waikato, is doing his utmost to exorcise the demons of last year as he sits a stroke back in fifth place after a second-round 69.

Former Players Champion Craig Perks yesterday also rallied in the testing conditions to sign for a one-over par 73, but he missed the weekend cut by two strokes.

At the other end of the leaderboard, Holloway, who receives coaching from Hastings PGA professional Brian Doyle, is playing his best golf for some time.

The four-time winner on The Charles Tour (Taranaki Open 2005 [a] and Wairakei Open 2006-2008) is the player to beat heading into the third round.

"I am definitely feeling good about my game and looking forward to tomorrow," said Holloway.

Holloway made four birdies and no bogeys in his round today and it was the latter that was most satisfying.

"I am really pleased to make no mistakes out there.

"It was pretty tough again today, and every time I got myself into trouble I managed to get myself out of it. The no bogeys is great because it means that all the guys chasing me have to play particularly well to catch me."

With four titles, Holloway is currently tied with New Zealand No 1 Michael Hendry as the most successful players in the history of the local series.

He said he would remain aggressive in the third round.

"Everyone knows that a four-shot lead can disappear pretty quickly. I am going to go out there tomorrow to build on my lead and keep playing the way I have been. I haven't been in this position for a while so I expect I will be a little bit nervous but I have a pretty good record when I am in contention."

He said getting away from the game for a period over summer to get stuck in at the farm was exactly what he needed.

"Yeah it's amazing what a break can do. Get away from it all and refresh the mind and it is amazing what you can do when you have a fresh brain."

At Omaha Beach Club, Hastings Golf Club amateur Stuart Duff is in second equal place in the New Zealand Masters Championship going into the final round today.

Duff yesterday carded 69 at the par-71 course about 45 minutes drive from Auckland to leapfrog seven places to even par 142 after two rounds to sit with Aucklanders Brent Patterson, Stuart Nicholls and Michael Baltrop.

The Lindisfarne College teacher scored 73 on Thursday on a day-only outright leader, Samuel Christie, of Australia, fired under par to sit two strokes ahead before teeing off today.

John Workman, of Hastings, plummeted 20 places to sit 13 over while Michael Piper, also of Hastings, withdrew.