Golf: Bowman seals it for Grange

By Graham Skellern

Young Michael Bowman hit his greatest golfing moment on Sunday when he helped the Grange to win the Auckland interclub challenge final in a dramatic playoff against the more favoured Auckland team.

After two rounds at Pakuranga, the club sides were tied on 440 shots and the 19-year-old Bowman - the best scorer for the Grange with 72, 71 - was chosen to walk the par-five first playoff hole against Chris Johns, a New Zealand representative.

Bowman, a four-handicapper who has been playing golf for six years, settled his nerves and parred the hole, while Johns took a bogey six after driving into trees and taking two chip-shots to get back on the fairway.

"That was great, it was the highlight of my career. We are only a young side [all under 23] and we didn't expect to win," said Bowman, who works with his father, David, in a carpet-laying business.

This time last year Bowman did not know whether he would play golf again. He was seriously injured in a car accident near Taupo while going to the national under-23 strokeplay championship in Hastings in mid-January.

He was in an induced coma in Hastings Hospital for 10 days with head injuries, a wrist broken in four places and a broken leg.

Incredibly, three months after the accident Bowman was back playing golf - and his determination and perseverance were rewarded on Sunday at the Pakuranga. course

The Grange now play the champion clubs from Northland, North Harbour and Waikato in the regional final at Manukau on March, with the winners moving through to the Montana national final in May.