Golf: American douses hopes for a local win

Alex Prugh aimed to keep bogeys off his card. Photo / Getty Images

An unheralded American golfer did not just beat up on his rivals to win the New Zealand Open yesterday.

Alex Prugh went much further than that because he trampled all over the field.

Prugh scorched home in ideal conditions with an eight-under 64 to finish on 19-under 269, three clear of compatriot Martin Piller, who closed with a 68.

Jim Herman completed the trifecta for the United States to fill third place after his 68 left him at 274.

Two shots back were a group of six containing pugnacious New Zealander Josh Geary, who battled back after a mid-round meltdown to graft his way to a 71.

It netted him close to US$21,000 ($40,000) after he had entered the championship needing US$6000 to earn a promotion from the Canadian Tour to the second tier Nationwide Tour in the US.

Geary's companions on 276 included the Australian quartet of Andrew Bonhomme, 66, Stephen Dartnall, 68, Peter Senior, 68, and Craig Parry, 69. American Jeff Gove completed the grouping with a 70.

The day had again dawned brilliantly fine with expectations high for a New Zealand champion to follow Steve Alker's victory in the New Zealand PGA Championship in Christchurch a week ago.

But they melted in the Central Otago heat as Alker and Grant Waite went backwards while Geary scrambled, scrapped and clawed his way through.

Waite, bidding for his first tournament win in 16 years, rocketed up the leaderboard on Saturday with some hot putting and his third round of 66 had him starting yesterday in a tie for second.

But his flat stick was in a sinfully bad mood yesterday, his problems clear from the outset when he three-putted the first and third greens en route to a 76 which saw him tumble to 29th on 281.

He was one behind David Smail, who signed off with a 69, a number repeated by Michael Long, who was 22nd on 279, one behind Alker, 71, who shared 13th place.

But it was Prugh who won all the kudos.

In just his second season on the Nationwide Tour, Prugh performed admirably when the pressure was at its most intense.

It was good enough for the 24-year-old to board his flight home today with a cheque for US$108,000 safely tucked away in his luggage, rich reward for his first win in the professional ranks.

He had a quiet start, being even with the card through seven holes before exploding, holing out for an eagle two on eight, picking up more strokes on the 11th and 12th, 11th and 16th.

He delivered the coup de grace on the par-five 17th with his second eagle, sending his approach to 7m and nailing the uphill, sloping putt.

"The eighth really kick-started my round," Prugh said.

"The only time I really felt comfortable was between 16 and 17.

"On 17 I hit two awesome shots and made a great putt."

Prugh said his plan heading to The Hills on the outskirts of Arrowtown yesterday morning was to keep bogeys off his card.

He failed in that regard, with a shelled shot on the seventh, but he succeeded in every other way.

"At the beginning of the day I thought a 67 would put me in the hunt."

The individual highlight yesterday was a rare albatross by Welshman Richard Johnson on the par-four 15th hole, which was playing at 316m.

Johnson hit his driver aiming for a gap between the sand traps surrounding the entrance to the green and quickly heard the noise when the ball fell into the hole.

Despite the bonus hole-in-one Johnson went on to a stock standard 70, leaving him alone in 10th place on 277. He complained that he putted badly all four days.

- NZPA