A tap-in for par at the final hole by Hamilton professional Mark Purser secured him the $40,000 Charles Tour Shirley Open by a shot from Christchurch amateur Sam Ma at the Christchurch Golf Club yesterday.
Purser, 24, safely made a regulation two-putt par at the last to finish
at seven-under 281 and claim his third major win in New Zealand in the past two years.
He won the Tauranga and Titirangi 72-hole opens last year.
Ma, the No 1 amateur at the Christchurch club, had a 7m birdie putt to force a playoff but it slid 1.5m by.
However, to card three sub-par rounds and finish runner-up on six-under on one of the country's toughest courses was a highly commendable performance.
A shot behind Ma in a tie for third on five-under 283 were Canterbury professional Anthony Doyle, from the host club, New Plymouth's Grant Moorhead, and Taupo's Andrew Searle.
Canterbury professionals Carl Brooking and Tony Christie both had four-under 68s to share sixth place on four-under and they were the only players to better par over 72 holes.
Meanwhile, a spectacular 69, five-under to the women's par of 74, by New Zealand Espirito Santo representative Dana Kim gave her honours in the women's section by one shot over 17-year-old Wellington No 1, Lucy Davis.
Davis had led Kim from the start of the tournament after Kim, 19, carded 81 in the first round.
However, the New Zealand champion had a flawless five-under yesterday to pip Davis, who had been under par early before finishing with a one-over 75.
- NZPA
