KEY POINTS:
Mark Brown has won the New Zealand Professional Golf Association's Order of Merit for 2006 by a narrow margin over defending champion Grant Moorhead.
Wellington-based Brown took the accolade by just $15 despite Moorhead winning the season ending $12,500 Tarrangower Classic in Taumarunui last weekend.
To retain the title Moorhead needed Brown worse than fourth but despite a difficult start to his round he reached that goal with a two-under 69, thanks to closing with consecutive birdies.
Moorhead won with a six-under 65.
Brown had a remarkable run of form in the second half of the year, achieving four wins from the final eight events including the lucrative OLEX Taranaki Open.
He played 17 events over the year, winning a total of $25,399.
Brown now heads to Australia to play in the New South Wales Open before the run of major Australasian PGA Tour events leading into Christmas.
He also planned to attend both the Australasian and Asian qualifying schools as he continued his plan to return to a fulltime playing schedule.
The win also saw him guaranteed a start in the New Zealand Open this month.
- NZPA