Golf: BoP golfers' golden year continuing

By BOB PEARCE

Rotorua golfer Mark Smith double-bogeyed the last hole but still won the North Island championship at Huapai yesterday by three shots.

The 19-year-old from the Springfield Club had a level-par total of 288 for the 72 holes over the West Auckland course.

Completing a Springfield quinella, clubmate Nicholas Davey was second in what has been a golden year for Bay of Plenty golf.

Tauranga golfer Eddie Burgess won the South Island title and the national matchplay, where Davey was a semifinalist, and Brenda Ormsby from the Rotorua Club won the national women's strokeplay.

Smith, himself, was beaten by Davey in the national quarter-finals at Christchurch, and was bitterly disappointed because he was playing so well.

"Down there I couldn't have driven it any better, whereas here I was hitting low hooks off the tee," said Smith after his win.

"Even in the practice round on Friday I was bad. My swing just doesn't feel right."

Despite uncertainty off the tee Smith led from the start with an opening two-under 70, followed by 73, 71 and 74.

He was accurate with his irons and putted well and by the start of the final round had a three-stroke break on the field.

His closest challenger at that stage was Eisenhower Trophy representative Gareth Paddison, whose third round of 68 was equal best in the tournament.

But the Wellington left-hander faded to an 80 in the afternoon.

Fellow Eisenhower player Reon Sayer (Carterton) and Brad Heaven (Remuera) also threatened but could not sustain their challenge.

Davey clinched second with a par 72 in the last round to finish one ahead of Maungakiekie veteran Arthur Parkin, Sayer and Daniel Robertson from Redwood Park.

As the weather, which had been threatening all day, turned to persistent rain, Smith remained remarkably consistent despite his driving troubles.

"They say golf tournaments are won in the last nine holes and I was pretty happy to have hung in there," he said.

Only on the last, with the tournament won, did he falter. He drove out of bounds off the tee. His fourth shot on the par five also flirted with the out of bounds and he was happy to settle for a seven.

It was a considerable turnaround on his performance in the last North Island championship at Whitford Park, where he was close to finishing last.

As he said: "If I can swing bad and win, it must be a bonus."