KEY POINTS:
Tim Wilkinson looks as if a decent gust might blow him over, so it was commendable that he fought his way through the wind at Gulf Harbour to finish equal 12th, picking up a cheque for $24,600.
But when you learn what the 27-year-old left-hander from Palmerston North
has endured this year, a few gusts of wind seem inconsequential.
Wilkinson plays on the second-level Nationwide Tour in the United States, but he missed his two "home" dates of that tour when he contracted food poisoning in February and had to miss the Adelaide tournament and the NZPGA at Christchurch.
Food poisoning progressed into glandular fever, which stripped 9kg from his already spare frame. He managed to play 23 tournaments in the US for 71st on the tour money list, but had to play several unsuitable dates to make up for lost time. Then, when he lined up at the second round of qualifying for the main tour, he twisted his left ankle and dropped out.
Wilkinson remains positive after four years as a pro that reaching the big tour is a realistic goal.
"My scoring average was better this year and I know more about my game," he said.
Wilkinson had rounds of 72, 70, 72 and 69 for a total of 283, one under par. He was 4-under after 11 holes of his final round, bogeyed three holes and then finished well with a birdie on the 17th thanks to a pitch to less than a metre.
New Zealand's leading golfer Michael Campbell finished in a share of second on 3-under.
He had a tough day with the putter, narrowly missing birdies that would have had him tied with winner Nathan Green.
Michael Long finished level with Wilkinson after a final round of 71, including four birdies and four bogeys. Dunedin's Mahal Pearce was two shots further back with Gareth Paddison from Wellington in equal 23rd.
Rookie Hawkes Bay pro Doug Holloway, a week away from completing his first year in the paid ranks, showed great consistency with rounds of 72, 70, 71, 73 for 27th place and a cheque for $10,125. That goes with his New Zealand earnings from a win at the Greg Turner tournament at Taupo, three Aussie pro-am victories and third placing in the Turner Tauranga tournament.
Mark Purser, in his first professional tournament, finished at 8-over in 58th place and took home $2400 to the Waikato.
