Golf: Mystery man leaves posse behind

By CHRIS RATTUE

Mahal Pearce was the man dressed in black, the mysterious sharpshooter, as he left the posse in his wake in the final round of the New Zealand Open.

David Smail could vaguely remember him from a tournament in Japan two years ago, but that was about all.

Another former New Zealand Open champion, Michael Campbell, could not offer much on the subject of Mahal Pearce either.

Australian Wayne Grady, a former US PGA champion, knew nothing of Pearce - even though they were part of a five-way tie for second at the New South Wales Open in November.

"I was busy chasing Terry Price there - I don't bother about people coming second," Grady said outside the Middlemore clubhouse.

"If he came over here right now I wouldn't know him."

The $700,000 New Zealand Open may have been the "home-coming Open," but the house was not supposed to be put in this order.

Campbell, Phil Tataurangi, Grant Waite, David Smail ... they were the contenders. Instead, 27-year-old Pearce from Dunedin upstaged them all to win by two shots over Australian Brett Rumford in brilliant sunshine at the Auckland Golf Club, and collect $126,000.

If the pros knew little about Pearce, the public knew even less, and the man himself gives little away.

Shy and nervous in the final days as the title became a possibility, he was close to tears at the presentation ceremony, then halting as the media sought his story.

The man with a sweet swing also has some petulant behaviour on his CV and Pearce did admit: "I've always been a bit headless, if that's the word."

Pearce was christened after a racehorse, Rich Mahal, although he could not produce much more on that subject, except to say that his mother had worked briefly in the horse industry.

He has had some encouraging form on the Australasian tour, and practised recently with fellow southern man Greg Turner, who won at Middlemore in 1997.

Pearce made the cut at Paraparaumu last year, and missed at The Grange the year before. This is not a career loaded with the promise of winning an Open.

Pearce's season had not been entirely without success, however. He had won around $40,000 and lay 55th on the Australasian Order of Merit, but his world ranking of 541 indicated his Open prospects. His total previous winnings were just $100,000.

"Not much," he answered, when asked what wins his amateur and professional career, which began in 1999, had produced.

Later, Pearce reckoned: "It can't get any better than this, to win your home title. Just fantastic."

Pearce left school with designs on a golf career, but did some work as a labourer for one of the three Otago businessmen who are now his sponsors (a decent chunk of his prize will go to that trio).

He left Dunedin for Wellington to be closer to national director of coaching Mal Tongue, and has won the New Zealand under-23, Wellington, Dunedin and Waikato strokeplay titles. But nothing like this.

Pearce produced a defining shot on the 332m 14th hole yesterday, after landing his tee shot under a tree left of the fairway.

He hit a miraculous wedge to half-a-metre from the hole, and completed the birdie. That sealed the fate for others - including his playing partner Chris Downes.

Pearce went out of bounds with his driver on the 18th, then hit a three iron from the tee and eventually dropped two shots on the hole to keep the title safe. He finished the day at two under, for a 10-under total of 278.

Campbell folded early as his driver failed again.