Purser revels in finest hour

Mark Purser returned to the scene of his first triumph to post the biggest win of his golfing career so far yesterday.
The 22-year-old Hamilton professional hunted down runaway leader, Auckland amateur Leighton James, shooting an eight-under 63 to win the Carrus Tauranga Open by a single shot and collecting a cool $8000.
Wins have been hard to come by for Purser, despite a stellar amateur career that included playing the Eisenhower Trophy for New Zealand and winning the Waikato Winter strokeplay last year.
In fact, you have to go back four years to find another four-round strokeplay victory _ and that was also at the Tauranga course, when he won the Tauranga Masters under-23 title.
"That was my first-ever tournament win and probably the last time I ever had any success on this course _ I've played it quite poorly since then," Purser noted wryly.
"It's a great feeling to win any tournament, especially my first four-round event as a professional."
There was nothing wrong with the way he played the course yesterday.
With James holding a five-shot lead over Tauranga's Kevin Smith and another two shots back to Purser, the Hamilton golfer needed luck and form in equal doses.
"I knew I needed a low one _ put it this way and I pretty much knew if Leighton got anything going today, it was curtains for me.
"I just really tried to play my own game and stay in the present and it worked really well."
Halfway through the final round, James still looked in control, as he had for the previous three rounds of 63, 67 and 63. He was two-under as they trundled off the 10th green, although casting a wary eye over his shoulder at both Smith and Purser who'd got to within four shots.
The first big swing came on the par-four 11th, when Purser buried his birdie attempt in the back of the cup and James dropped a shot after an errant drive.
All of a sudden the margin was only two and, when Purser and James bogeyed the next hole, Smith plunged into the melee two shots off the lead as well.
But Smith's challenge died on the 15th green with a miserable four-putt, while James bogeyed the 16th to be only one ahead of Purser.0
The final thrust was mercifully swift _ Purser rocketed a drive down the short par-five 17th, hit a silky wedge in from 128m and curled a sweet 3m putt in for an eagle. James could only par the last two holes, leaving him one shot adrift.
"He shot eight-under so hats off to him," a clearly gutted James said.
"I struggled all day, couldn't nail any putts and hit a few tiddlers and that's the way it goes.
"But I had a pretty good tournament and beat all the amateurs in the field so that's the positive out of it."
Purser was one shot shy of Josh Geary's 262 record score set last year and will continue to hone his game playing pro-am tournaments before trying for his Australasian Tour Card again at the end of the year.
Three professionals shared fourth place on 269: Hamish Robertson (Taihape), Sydney-based Martin Pettigrew and Josh Carmichael (North Harbour)
Waikato professional Brad Shilton became the third player during the tournament to fire a 10-under 61, along with Purser on the second round and Smith on day three.
Shilton turned at five under and fired five more birdies on the way home in a brilliant display that saw him jump 25 spots to finish in a share of seventh place on 14-under with North Island champion Nick Gillespie (Hastings).