Golf: Josh Geary must go low for Kiwi win

Josh Geary. Photo / Getty Images

Josh Geary knows he will have to go low - as in, really low - if he is to become the first homegrown winner of the New Zealand Open in 12 years.

Geary is the leading Kiwi heading into the final round at The Hills, near Queenstown.

Rounds of 69, 69 and 66 are nothing to sniff at but, at 11-under, Geary is four shots off the pace, tied for seventh, and knows he will have to tear up the course today if he is to prevent an Australian fleeing with the Brodie Breeze Trophy and banking $171,000.

"If I can be within four or five shots, I will be a chance," Geary said. "If it's calm, it's going to be a birdie-fest again, so I will have to come out and shoot a low number, which means getting off to a fast start."

Geary opened his third round with three consecutive birdies and went out in 32. He bogied the 11th but had birdies at Nos 12, 15 and 17 and made a nice par on the 18th after his drive found "the wolves" - the group of distinctive sculptures next to the fairway.

"I played great. I just let a couple slip away but I swung a lot better. I found something last night on the range and putted better, too.

"It could have been a really low one. I let a few putts slide by."

The other leading New Zealanders are Tauranga's Jared Pender and Wellington's Harry Bateman at 9-under. Bateman, who won the New Zealand order of merit last year and tied for 11th at last week's NZ PGA, was delighted with a round of 67 yesterday and was not thinking about how much work he had to do today.

"I'm just going to do the same again. Just go at it and you never know what might happen," Bateman said. "Another good solid round and you can be right up there."

It remains odds-on that an Australian will win, but a consolation prize of being the leading New Zealander could be at stake.

"I'd be really happy with that," Bateman said. "I'm just happy to be here. Last night I went birdie, par, birdie, birdie to make the cut. I'm pretty stoked at the moment."

New Zealand No 1 Ryan Fox had a round that ebbed and flowed, finishing with an eagle and a bogey. His 69 got him to 6-under for the tournament, while veteran New Zealander Mark Brown fired a 68 to get to 8-under.

Sadly, for those dreaming of a first New Zealand winner since Mahal Pearce in 2003, it seems certain the man who accepts the trophy later today will have an Australian accent.

There is a two-way tie at the top, with Kristopher Mueck and Jordan Zunic both at 15-under. Fellow Australians Matt Jager and Aaron Pike each dropped a shot on the final hole to slip to 14-under, while former champion Brad Kennedy is at 13-under.

The round of the day was a sizzling 64 carded by Australian sensation Cameron Smith, whose round started with an eagle and eight birdies, offset by two bogies.

In the 'celebrity challenge' section of the associated pro-am, television personality and former Black Caps batsman Mark Richardson finished with a two-shot lead over Australian cricket great Shane Warne. Prime Minister John Key is expected to play in a special group at the Open today.

Otago Daily Times