Golf: Rutledge flies to 1-stroke win

Jim Rutledge plays out of the rough at Clearwater resort. Phil Walter/Getty Images

CHRISTCHURCH - This travelling lark sits well with Canadian golfer Jim Rutledge, who ignited his career yesterday by winning the New Zealand PGA Championship in Christchurch.

A journeyman in every sense of the word, Rutledge soared up the leaderboard with a scintillating eight-under 64 at Clearwater Resort to win the third tournament on the Nationwide Tour's 31-event calendar.

The winner's cheque of US$108,000 ($165,339) will likely guarantee him a finish inside the top 20 at season's end to secure his card for the 2007 PGA Tour in the United States.

Rutledge completed the 72 holes in nine-under 279 to speed past 24 players who began the final round in front of him.

Among those in the slower lane was overnight leader Jarrod Lyle, of Australia, who began yesterday nine ahead of Rutledge and bogeyed the 18th after finding the hazard beside the lake on the left off the tee.

Lyle needed to par the hole to force a play-off, a scenario that remained alive when his compatriot Brett Rumford lined up a 4.5m uphill birdie putt, which slid by the target.

Lyle and Rumford had to make do with a share of second, one back of Rutledge, after respective closing rounds of 74 and 72 as a northerly wind again kept the bulk of the field honest.

For Rutledge, 46, it was heady stuff after a largely undistinguished career which includes six wins on the Canadian Tour and his only previous victory of note in the 1995 Indian Open on the Asian Tour.

Rutledge completed the deal with panache, an eagle, birdie finish providing an exclamation mark to his fine round.

He holed out with a sand wedge from 100m on the 17th and drained a 5.4m putt from off the green at the last.

"I couldn't ask for any more than that," said Rutledge, the fifth-oldest player to win a Nationwide Tour event.

"The way I finished was a big bonus."

The remainder of the leaderboard was filled by Wade Ormsby of Australia, alone in fourth after his 70 left him on 281, one ahead of compatriot Scott Gardiner, 68, and American Chad Collins, 69.

First-round leader Jason Dufner, of the US, fired 71 to share seventh with Australian pair Paul Gow, 71, and Paul Marantz, 73.

David Smail was the top New Zealander, carding 68 to improve his overnight 30th-equal to a tie for 10th.

But it was Rutledge who fired best to peel off an immaculate round that contained one eagle and six birdies.

"I'm pretty proud of this one," Rutledge said of his 64.

"It is very fulfilling. I knew I had a good one in me this week and I finally got it all together."

It was a gutting result for Lyle, 24, who was a bundle of nerves yesterday morning when he arrived at the course holding a two-shot lead over Rumford and a four-shot cushion over the remainder of the field.

He was twitchy early, even though he birdied the par-four first after an exquisite approach to 3.6m.

A bogey six followed at the second when he leaked his drive right before three-putting up a challenging slope on the green and then over-cooked his iron approach to the third to fly the green for another bogey.

The par-five fifth returned him a seven after he got a flyer from the rough with his third and ended up down a steep greenside bank, leaving himself an impossible pitch, which he ran through the green.

His lead had evaporated as Rumford nudged one ahead, but Lyle came back solidly with a birdie three on the sixth.

He did not relinquish his lead again until Rutledge birdied the last, but Lyle immediately bridged the gap with a 4.5m birdie putt of his own on the 13th.

Lyle was magnanimous in defeat.

"Of course I'm gutted, but second is nothing to sneeze at," said Lyle, who collected US$50,850.

"I feel bad I didn't win, but it is only a matter of time if I keep putting myself in contention."

His mishap at the 18th left a sour taste but Lyle was philosophical.

"It's one of those things - I'll get over it."

- NZPA