Levin golfer Tyler Hodge with his trophy after winning the New Zealand Super 6s at the Manawatu Golf Club in Palmerston North. Photo / Golf New Zealand
Levin golfer Tyler Hodge with his trophy after winning the New Zealand Super 6s at the Manawatu Golf Club in Palmerston North. Photo / Golf New Zealand
Tyler Hodge is no longer a bridesmaid on the Charles Tour after winning the New Zealand Super 6s in front of friends and family at the Manawatū Golf Club in Palmerston North last week.
The left-handed Levin professional got the monkey off his back by beating Wellington amateur Jayden Fordin the six-hole final after prevailing against Mitchell Kale, Mason Lee and Harry Bateman earlier in the day.
Hodge has been a perennial contender on the Jennian Homes-sponsored Charles Tour without getting over the line.
Last year he won the strokeplay portion of the New Zealand Super 6s, sponsored by Brian Green Property, before losing in the second round. He also recorded three second places and a third last year on the Charles Tour, adding to his second-place finish at the Muriwai Open in 2016.
Hodge had also finished second at the New Zealand Strokeplay a few weeks earlier and began to question if a victory would come.
Tyler Hodge marches to victory in the New Zealand Super 6s in Palmerston North in front of a home crowd. Photo / Golf New Zealand.
However, his golfing story finally rewarded him with a win at a place he knows well — his secondary home club.
“It’s a pretty indescribable feeling to be honest. I’ve been close since this tournament last year where I think I’ve had four runners-up and a third, so it’s really nice to get this one over the line at home,” he said.
“There have been a lot of close calls, and it’s great to add my name alongside some really amazing names on a Jennian Homes Charles Tour trophy. It’s nice to be a part of that.”
Tyler Hodge as a youngster, proudly displaying a golf ball autographed by Steve Williams after the Pro-Am at the Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club in 2002. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Hodge and Ford parred the opening two holes in the final before disaster struck for the Wellingtonian when he made an uncharacteristic double bogey on the short par-four third. Hodge pounced with a birdie, making the difference three shots with three holes to play.
The pair made a par and a birdie over the next couple, and Hodge headed to the final hole with a comfortable buffer, and only needed to avoid anything catastrophic to lift the trophy. However, he sprayed his drive left into the trees while Ford hit an incredible drive to a couple of feet to set up an eagle.
With Hodge needing a par to win, he sent a flop shot towering over the trees on to the green, much to the crowd’s delight. He two-putted his way to victory, letting out a massive sigh of relief as the winning emotions began to sink in.
“I don’t ever cruise home, so I thought something unusual might happen coming down the stretch. Credit to Jayden, it was an unreal golf shot — probably the best he could have asked for. I’m just happy to sneak in.”
