KEY POINTS:
Clearwater owed American Ryan Howison a good round, and he collected in style yesterday with a seven-under 65 to lead the New Zealand PGA championship by one shot.
The 40-year-old Florida resident played in the morning when only he, veteran Aussie Peter Senior with a 66 and young
American Chez Reavie with 67 took advantage of the almost still conditions, which left the Christchurch course at the golfers' mercy.
There was a breeze in the afternoon and only another Floridian, 34-year-old Jason Caron, made a charge.
He completed the first nine in a record-equalling six-under 30 but came home in 38 with a double-bogey on the 18th, where he took a drop and three-putted.
His 68 left him equal fourth with four others. Best of the Kiwis in the HSBC-sponsored event is Brad Iles, who shot 69 for a share of ninth place. Michael Long dropped a shot on the 18th to finish on 70 and a share of 21st.
A year ago, Howison left Clearwater with severely sprained ligaments in his right hand after he attacked a ball in the rough on the 17th during his third round and lost the battle with some tussock grass.
He played the fourth round effectively one-handed to record 81 and fly out with a US$1200 cheque and a new injury to add to the elbow tendinitis, wrist surgery and three rotator cuff operations that have blighted his professional career.
When he has been fit, he has won three times on the Nationwide tour and graduated to the main USPGA tour in 1995 and 2000. But last year was not a banner year, and he missed the cut last week in Adelaide.
"I've been playing well but I haven't been holing the putts I needed to," he said. "The greens here are some of the best I've ever putted on. You know from four or five feet [1.2m to 1.5m] out if you have it on line it'll go in."
Howison needed only 26 putts for his round of eight birdies and one bogey - on the par-five 14th where he drove just off the fairway but had to chip out sideways, learning like many others in the field that Clearwater this year rewards straight driving.
Senior, at 47 one of the oldest in the field, put it succinctly: "It'll be a good week for good golfers. If you just miss the fairways here, you're going to pay the price."
After taking a break for five weeks, the longest in his 30 years of pro golf, Senior negotiated the difficult second nine first in one under par, then made a meal of the other nine with five birdies.
The 23-year-old Iles also started from the 10th tee and played that nine two under, thanks to an eagle on the 474m 15th where he holed a 10m chip. He birdied two of his last three holes for 69.
Four New Zealanders were on one under - Phil Tataurangi, who struggled with the pace of the greens, Mahal Pearce, Mark Brown and Grant Moorhead. Tim Wilkinson and David Smail were on level-par 72.
Sixty-two players bettered par. Below the potential cut line were Scott Sterling, who won in Adelaide last week, and Steven Bowditch, who lost in a playoff here two years ago.