Golf: Finishing touches secure second title

Three crucial putts and a three-birdie finish set up New Plymouth for a win in the national interclub men's strokeplay tournament.

The birdie blitz came from Brent Lahood. Nathan Bennett holed long putts on the final two holes and Troy Ropiha rolled one in on the last.

With the wind whipping across the seaside course, the four-man New Plymouth team held things together as other teams faltered.

The home team mastered the conditions best, finishing on 442 to win by three shots from Auckland club The Grange, Park International taking third place another five shots back.

The Aucklanders' challenge faltered in the gusting wind, having to include an 80 in their three best scores.

Ropiha was the toast of the New Plymouth side after rounds of 69 in the morning - three under par - and 74. Bennett shot rounds of 76 and 76, and Lahood did the same. Regan MacRae, the team's number one player, opened with a 73 but crashed in the afternoon, shooting 83.

"It was difficult. We teed off on the 10th for the afternoon round, with The Grange off the first. It was hard to get a line on how other teams were going," Lahood said.

"We knew Manor Park was a threat, but they blew their chance when, between them, they played the par-four second [hole] nine over par."

Lahood said he thought his team's chances were slipping when he bogeyed four holes out of five early in the final nine.

"I thought we were history. But a couple of birdies and big putts by Nathan and Troy got us there. Then it came down to a waiting game, waiting until The Grange finished."

Nineteen-year-old Ropiha fired six birdies in his morning round, the second-best score of the day. Former New Plymouth player Jonathan Cane, now with Manor Park in Wellington, scored 68 in the morning.

Glen Goldfinch showed his class for The Grange when two under par at the turn in the afternoon. He held on well for a two-under 70.

Mathew Holten, from Park International in Hamilton, was the leading individual in the 36-hole event, on 142 after rounds of 72 and 70. Ropiha and Cane finished on 143. Hawkes Bay golfer Guy Penrose made 144 after two par rounds.

It was the second time a team from the New Plymouth club has won the national interclub title.

The first time was in 1992, when the event was known as the Johnnie Walker Classic. On that occasion John Bennett, Shane Grylls, Anthony Barkley and Ken Holyoake took the honour.

- NZPA