KEY POINTS:
English golfer Richard Finch positioned himself for a career breakthrough today by snatching the lead heading into the final round of the New Zealand Open.
Finch carded a classy eight-under-par 64 in the third round of the $1.5 million European and Australasian co-sanctioned event at The Hills near here to steam past overnight leader Steven Bowditch.
He sat at 14-under 202 for the championship, three ahead of Australian Bowditch, who shot a fighting 71 after he threatened to go off the rails when posting a triple bogey eight at the ninth hole.
Next in line is Auckland-based Australian Peter Fowler, who catapulted from a share of 41st outright third on the back of a stunning 10-under 62 which carried him to 10-under 206.
In fourth on 208 were Australian trio Paul Sheehan, 73, Rick Kulacz, 68, and Ewan Porter, 70, while Welshman Kyron Sullivan had seventh place to himself on 209 after posting 69.
The leading New Zealander was Mahal Pearce, whose 69 improved him to a tie for eighth with England's Robert Dinwiddie, 66, and Marc Leishman, of Australia, 71.
Local hope Michael Long, in third last night, tumbled backwards when a four-over 76 left him in 19th place on 212 alongside compatriots Josh Geary, 70, and rookie Brenden Stuart, 70.
Finch, 30 and in his fourth season on the European Tour after turning professional in 2003, has yet to win a title, but came close in 2005 when second equal in the Italian Open.
He has a best result in 2007 of seventh equal at the Mallorca Classic, and is unsure how he will feel tomorrow morning because this is the first time he has led a tournament after 54 holes.
"This is a new position for me and I am unsure what it will be like because I haven't been there before. But I'll try to stick to my usual routines."
Finch's nine birdies did not contain any from noteworthy length as his accuracy with the driver enabled him to attack the pins with his irons.
"I am delighted with it. I certainly did not go out today planning to shoot 64 so I'm obviously pleased it happened."
Bowditch's chances appeared to be wrecked when he crashed at the ninth, a wild tee shot finding thick tussock from which he had no choice but to take a drop.
His fourth shot ended in a buried lie in a greenside bunker and he needed two swings to extricate himself after which he two-putted.
He showed commendable backdone not to dissolve completely, stringing together four successive birdies from the 12th to stay very much in contention despite dropping a stroke at the tricky par-three 16th.
The biggest mover was Fowler, who carded the first 10-under score of his career and just the second recorded in New Zealand Open history, after Englishman Steve Webster's 62 at Gulf Harbour in 2005.
Fowler, 48, whose seven career titles include the 1993 New Zealand Open, filled himself to the brim, sinking eight birdie putts to complement an eagle three at the 13th hole when he rifled home a 30-foot putt after finding the green with a three iron.
"I needed a good score after starting so far behind the leaders," said Fowler, who was so annoyed with his 75 yesterday that he punished himself by swimming in a decidedly cold Lake Wakatipu on the edges of Queenstown.
"I was in a positive, aggressive state of mind."
- NZPA
