Matt McLean approaches the green during the fourth round of the Grant Clements Memorial Tournament. PHOTO/GEORGE NOVAK
Matt McLean approaches the green during the fourth round of the Grant Clements Memorial Tournament. PHOTO/GEORGE NOVAK
It needed a play-off to decide the winner of the 2018 Grant Clements Memorial Tournament at the Mount Maunganui Golf Club on Sunday evening.
Canadian national rep player Joey Savoie and Cantabrian Matt McLean (Harewood) both finished on seven-under 281 after 72 holes of intense strokeplay golf played over Saturday and Sunday.
As the twilight began to fade across the pristine links, they set forth to the 18th tee in a replay of what New Zealand's best player Danny Lee went through to win the title in 2008.
Both weary golfers pushed their drives into the right hand rough, with their approach to the 18th obscured by a large tree and bunkers protecting the green.
McLean played first and did well to find the putting surface but left himself 60 feet to the pin. Savoie then played a shot to be proud of under pressure to knock it to within 15 feet.
The toughest place to putt from on the 18th green at Mount Maunganui is past the pin with a lethal quick putt across the slope.
That is precisely where McLean finished up, and after Savoie missed his birdie, McLean lipped out to hand the Canadian the trophy.
Savoie has been in Australia with the national team for three events and came to New Zealand hoping to get one tournament in among all the sightseeing.
To take out a tournament of the magnitude of the Grant Clements came as a shock to the 23-year-old from Montreal.
"I looked everywhere to play a tournament here, and it was good timing. I played 109 holes as I played the 36 hole foursomes with Rod O'Brien on Friday, which was awesome, but I don't think I have ever played that much golf in three days," he said.
Savoie says the second shot into 18 in the playoff was a tough shot, but he saw a gap he could manoeuvre the ball through. And it worked.
"I had finished an hour 15 minutes earlier so my swing was not super loose and I hit a bad tee shot but I got lucky and got the job done."
Turf flies as Jake Lee hits out of the rough. PHOTO/GEORGE NOVAK
Going into the final round on Sunday afternoon, all the attention was on 16-year-old prodigy Kazuma Kobori from Rangiora, who held a three-shot lead over McLean and Maungakiekie's Jang Yun Lee.
Savoie came from six behind to share the lead with McLean.
"I had no idea of the leaderboard as I did not have time with 15 minutes between rounds. I was super pleased how I played, and it was my best round, but I was super mad after I bogeyed 17 as I thought seven under was never going to get it done. I thought 10 would be the number, so it was a big surprise to see I had done enough," Savoie said.
McLean was gracious in defeat and said he did not do much wrong with the putt he missed in the playoff.
"I was happy with the line and everything I did. I just pushed it a little bit, and it caught the edge of the hole and did not drop. It is just one of those things that happen. But overall I am happy how I played."
The ladies title went to Eun Chae Kim from Pupuke on 289 who won by 12 shots from Sato Tajima.
