KEY POINTS:
Canadian David Hearn finished his round yesterday by holing a bunker shot for a birdie two for a round of six-under 66 and a share of the first-day lead in the NZPGA tournament at Clearwater, in Christchurch.
The 28-year-old is level with 31-year-old American Darron Stiles, who included
a double-bogey in his 66, and another American, Matt Bettencourt, who birdied the last after a double-bogey on 17.
Best of the Kiwis is Hawkes Bay golfer Doug Holloway on 68. David Smail shot 69 and Michael Campbell, Tony Christie and Anthony Doyle 70.
Hearn, who started on the 10th, made the most of the better conditions early in his round when he birdied four holes in a row from the 12th.
"My first nine the wind was not up at all and conditions were just perfect but after my second shot on 18, the wind just switched on."
He managed two birdies on his second nine - last year in his final round of this tournament he played these holes seven under to finish 20th. This time he finished in spectacular fashion by holing that bunker shot from 10 metres.
Stiles, who has played four of the past six seasons on the main USPGA tour, was seven under after 12 holes and had a two-shot break on the field. But the 413m par four 13th into the wind cost him a double-bogey.
"It's never a fun hole with the wind coming in from the left," he said. "I didn't hit too bad a drive but then I just hacked it up to the green and missed a four-footer for bogey."
He didn't miss many putts, needing only 25 for his round, not bad for someone who rates his work on the greens a weak point of his game. He was thrilled with his round saying it felt as if he could have shot eight or nine under.
The 24-year-old Holloway, a pro for only two-and-a-half years, changed his putter three days ago and thrived. He had no bogeys and barely missed a green all round.
Holloway has played mostly pro-am tournaments in Australia and New Zealand since he joined the professional ranks but believes he has the game for this level which brings together players from Australasia and the American Nationwide tour.
Both Holloway and Smail played in the morning while Campbell had to cope with the vagaries of the afternoon weather. He started well with two birdies and was four under with three to play. But he dropped shots on the 16th and 18th, where he found a fairway bunker and never recovered. Phil Tataurangi, who played in the same group, struggled to record a five-over 77.
Meanwhile, Smail was last night named the 2007 New Zealand Golfer of the Year at a function in Christchurch. The former Hamilton golfer completed an outstanding year, finishing as New Zealand's highest ranked golfer, gaining 15th place on the Japan Order of Merit and finishing a career best second on the Australasian Order of Merit.