Golf: Brown holds on for third Tour title

Mark Brown gets a kiss and a hug from his mother, Anne Brown, after winning the Carrus Open. Photo / Alan Gibson

Buffer from 11-under second round holds off strong finishes from Holloway and Lee.

Wellington professional Mark Brown has completed a memorable week at the Carrus Open.

The 39-year-old Shandon golfer, who shot an 11-under 59 in the second round, claimed his third Charles Tour title yesterday when he carded an even-par 70 at the Tauranga Golf Club for a two-stroke victory.

The former European Tour player, who began with a six-stroke lead, wasn't at his best on the closing stretch but did enough to sign for a 17-under total and hold off a fast finishing Doug Holloway (65). Auckland professional Richard Lee (66) finished one shot further back in third place.

Holloway, a five-time winner on the Charles Tour, had a putt from 12ft on the 18th hole to get within one shot of the lead as Brown bogeyed the penultimate hole at the same time. But his putt stopped on the hole lip.

On the final tee, Brown was 17-under par and finished the job with one of his best approach shots of the final round to within 6ft of the hole.

He two-putted for par and said it was "a really good feeling" to secure his first win in two years.

"It was a struggle today," he said.

"I played really nicely from tee to green for the first 13 holes but didn't really get a lot out of it and then struggled coming home. I wasn't nervous as such, I just hit some really poor shots under pressure.

"I am lucky I had a bit of a buffer because things got a bit tight there for a while."

He made birdies on 12 and 16 but believed his par save on the 15th from 15ft was the defining moment of the final round.

"That was the turning point for me. It was just at that point where it could have gone either way. I wasn't completely comfortable with the way that I was playing and I just sort of hung in there with those couple of putts."

Brown secured his third Charles Tour title, after winning the 2012 Carrus Open and the 2006 Taranaki Open, to become one of the most successful players in the history of the local series.

He said he would always remember this week and have fond memories of the day he shot golf's magical number.

"The 59 in the second round was obviously very special and the support of the members and locals here in Tauranga [was another special memory]. They have really made this feel like home for me in the golf club and in the community.

North Harbour professional Jenna Hunter has ended her title drought on the Charles Tour in emphatic fashion.

The 26-year-old South African- born Kiwi won the Carrus Open by 12 shots with a one-over 73.

The North Shore golfer had rounds of 70, 71, 69 and 73 for a five-under to be well clear of New Zealand Amateur Champion Chantelle Cassidy (72), while Joanna Kim (75) finished in third place.

Hunter, who is a perennial contender on the Charles Tour, was pleased to finally get over the line.

"It feels really good. It was nice knowing that I had a few shots in the bag but yeah it feels really good, I am glad that I have finally won."