Golf: Dale Clarke and Kellie Orchard take NZ Mid-Amateur titles

Sherwood Park's Dale Clarke and Royal Wellington's Kellie Orchard were the winners of the respective New Zealand Men's and Women's Mid-Amateur titles. Photo / Supplied

Northland continued a good trend on the golf course with Sherwood Park's Dale Clarke picking up the New Zealand Men's Mid-Amateur title.

Clarke was in sublime form at Bay of Plenty's Omanu Course and, despite the threat of poor conditions which did not come through, Clarke kept his composure to win the title with a record seven-under across the three rounds.

Clarke won by three shots from an impressive field that included the defending champion, Brent Curnow (Mt Maunganui), along with players from New Caledonia, Australia, Ireland and Tahiti.

Clarke went into the final 18 holes holding a two-shot lead over Scott Manyweathers (Harewood) but didn't even allow him a sniff of the title, coming home with three birdies and two bogeys to shoot a final round 71.

Clarke's rounds of 69, 69 and 71 helped him to the record seven-under par (209) score.

Manyweathers finished three strokes back at four under after an even 72 wasn't enough to knock Clarke off his perch.

Curnow ended in third, well off the leading pace with an even par 216 after going one under in the last round.

The best round of the 54-hole men's championship was shot by Hayden O'Donnell (Tauranga) in his opening gambit.

His five-under round gave him the lead heading into the final two but inconsistency and a poor final round of a nine-over 81 left him six over for the tournament.

Bryan Toohil (North Shore) won the best net, and Neil Weber (Omanu) the best stableford.

Meanwhile, the chase was on in the final round of the Women's Mid-Amateur with a team of women's masters' representatives trying to catch Kellie Orchard from Royal Wellington.

Orchard started the day with a two-shot lead over defending champion Shelley McElroy (Springfield) with Waikato's No 1, Jill Morgan (Cambridge), lurking a further shot behind.

Five shots off the pace was Vaha Fapiano, who shot an impressive final round of 71 today, the best round overall for the women, to make it within one.

Fapiano finished on 227 (77, 79, 71) with McElroy on 231 (77,76, 78).

PaR nz Golfing Holidays, which manages the tournament, confirmed the 2019 New Zealand Mid-Amateur will return to Golf Omanu for the third consecutive year.