Josh Geary finally knows what it feels like to lift a trophy at Clearwater Golf Club after winning the DVS Clearwater Open and another Jennian Homes Charles Tour title over the weekend.
The 37-year-old golfer had previously finished runner-up twice at the Christchurch club, once at the New Zealand PGA Championship in 2009 and again at the New Zealand Open in 2011.
Geary birdied his final three holes in the third and final round on Sunday to win by two over the in-form amateur Sam Jones and perennial Jennian Homes Charles Tour contender Dongwoo Kang.
Geary said he was relieved to finally get over the hump.
"Any trophy is becoming really hard to win these days. To win again and etch my name further into some New Zealand golfing history is always great.
"It was just nice to finish off those final holes strong, I've had a couple of hiccups in the past. I was just really proud of how I played the last couple of holes; I made some great swings when I needed to and holed a couple of good putts."
Josh Geary birdied the final three holes to win the DVS Clearwater Open. Photo / Golf New Zealand
Geary started the final day in a share of the lead at eight under with Jones after a pair of 68s.
The lead swapped hands several times over the course of the final day.
Geary made eight pars and a bogey to open his round over the first nine holes to be in a three-way tie for the lead with Hones and Robby Turnball, of Remuera, with nine holes to play.
It wasn't until the par five 10th hole that Geary made his first birdie to poke his nose in front before making a bogey on the tough par four 13th to fall a couple behind after Jones bagged a couple of birdies of his own.
Geary showed his pedigree, bouncing back with a birdie on the par 5 14th to get back within one.
With the tournament in the balance, Geary tied the lead on the 16th after hitting his tee shot to within a couple of feet of the hole on the long par three.
He took sole possession of the lead with a birdie on the 17th after a Jones bogey, meaning he only needed to par the last to get the job done after Kang posted nine under in the group ahead.
Gear hit the perfect tee shot and hit the final green, meaning he had two putts for the win but the Bay of Plenty-based professionally only needed one, rolling in the 30-footer with ease.
The putt secured Geary's seventh win of the Jennian Homes Charles Tour title.
"It was a funny week, I couldn't get anything to drop with the flat stick over the first couple of days, and I thought I had shot myself in the foot during the back nine with a couple of bogeys.
"Sure enough, the putts seemed to drop over the last couple of holes. It was a long wait."
In March, Geary celebrated his first tournament win since the death of his mother after crashing into Tauranga Harbour last year.
His mother, Maree Geary, was with her partner when their car plunged into the harbour near the traffic lights on Chapel St after a three-vehicle crash, police said at the time.
Dozens of people dived into the water in a rescue attempt when the car began sinking but Maree, 65, died at the scene.
