Golf: Australian shivers to victory

Australian golfer Kurt Barnes planned a long, hot shower last night after winning the New Zealand amateur strokeplay championship by four strokes at Chisholm Park in Dunedin.

Barnes, 21, survived the bitter cold to shoot a final round of three-under 68 to finish 12 under for the tournament with a four-round total of 272.

Queenslander Richard Moir was second on 276 and Canadian Lindsay Bernakevitch, of Saskatchewan, a stroke back on 277.

Brent McEwan, of St Clair, was the leading New Zealander, tying for fourth place with Australian Andrew McKenzie on 278, six under.

Temperatures plummeted during the afternoon and Barnes found it difficult to maintain his concentration during the last five holes.

"I've never been this cold before," he said. "The wind really came up on the 14th and I had to work hard to hold my game together. I'll be in the shower for a long time and after that I'll be having some drink that's brown to celebrate."

It was his second tournament win this year after he clinched the Riversdale Cup in Melbourne by four strokes from top-ranked New Zealander Bradley Iles.

The highlight of Barnes' final round was an eagle at the 454m par-five 14th when he unleashed a massive 327m drive and played a wedge to within less than a metre from the hole.

- NZPA