KEY POINTS:
A leisurely stroll became a nervous stumble before English golfer Richard Finch regained his balance to win the New Zealand Open by three shots yesterday.
Finch walked away from The Hills near Queenstown with his first career title after some moments of doubt and confused thinking in the latter stages of the $1.5 million European and Australasian co-sanctioned event.
The overnight leader by three, he started with the birdie and never had cause to cast an anxious look behind him until a short par putt lipped out for a bogey six on the 17th just after his playing partner Steven Bowditch sank an eagle putt from seven metres.
Although he had coughed up bogeys at the 12th and 15th, the three-shot swing still left Finch with the comfort of a three-stroke advantage heading down the last, where he promptly hit into rough to the right of the fairway before his second from 139m flew the green and came to rest in a spectator's chair.
Finch, 30, was allowed a free drop as well as relief from a television camera tower before pitching on and draining a 5 1/2m putt for his par, a round of even par 72 and a tournament card of 14-under 274.
Australian Bowditch parred the last for a 72 to leave him tied for second on 277 with compatriot Paul Sheehan, who closed with a 69.
Finch had been six strokes clear at the turn and had the luxury of being able to enjoy the stunning scenery surrounding The Hills on the journey home.
Joint first-round leader Sheehan got to within three with three to play when the Englishman shelled two shots in three holes leaving the 14th, but Sheehan promptly put his tee shot on the par-three 16th into the creek guarding the green.
Finch said he was delighted with his play on the front nine, when his lead had ballooned to six shots, but then allowed himself to become distracted.
"I spent too long looking at the leaderboard," he said.
"I was trying hard not to think but then you are thinking you are not thinking ... it's easy to get a bit lost with it all."
They were the ramblings of a man still trying to make sense of a breakthrough result in his fourth season on the European Tour.
"I'm just thrilled to bits. I kept telling myself in the past couple of days not to think about winning, and now that it has happened, it is taking a while to sink in."
Tied for third on 278 was a group of four, among them Craig Parry, of Australia, who signed for a 66, the same score registered by Swede Alexander Noren, and Australians Steven Jeffress, 67, and Matthew Millar, 67.
Bowditch was best placed to give Finch some uneasy moments yesterday but he slipped back by bogeying three of the opening six holes, as well as another two at 10 and 11, before he flicked a switch to pick up four shots from the 13th to 17th.
Peter Fowler, an Auckland-based Australian, shot a stunning 10-under 62 to bound into contention, but he also wilted under the hot Central Otago sun before a strong finish left him with a 73 and alone in eighth on 279.
The leading New Zealander was Josh Geary, whose 70 left him at six-under 282 in a share of 12th place.
Geary was hot on the back side, shooting 32 coming home, including an eagle two at the 15th and birdies at 10, 14 and 16.
Left-hander Gareth Paddison was one back of Geary after posting 70, and Doug Holloway, Tony Christie and Sir Bob Charles scored 67, 69 and 70 respectively to share 23rd place at 284.
Charles, 71, bettered his age in three of the four rounds and needed just 26 putts today in another immaculate performance from the 1963 British Open champion with the short stick.
Charles considered it was his best performance in 10 years and prompted him to signal his intention to play again next year.
The bulk of the field was so far behind Finch standing on the first tee yesterday that they needed the Englishman to fall back to the pack.
Finch never gave them much of a look as he protected his lead when it mattered most to earn a two-year exemption on the European Tour, although his back nine spoke volumes about the pressure he was feeling.
"I made a couple of mistakes. I was trying to avoid trouble and by doing that I found other trouble."
- NZPA
