Golf: Crash victim bounces back

Nine months after suffering life-threatening head injuries in the United States, Tauranga golfer Brad Iles won the North Island amateur championships in New Plymouth yesterday.

Iles injured himself when he fell from a golf cart during a tournament in the US and doctors initially said he was unlikely to play again.

After an enforced break from the game, he made his competitive return at the New Zealand under-23 championship in Hastings in January.

Yesterday, he shot a par 72 final round to finish six-under on 282 and secure his second North Island title by one stroke from New Plymouth's Troy Ropiha at the Ngamotu links. New Zealand representative Mathew Holten, who won the Australian foursomes title with Iles a fortnight ago, finished in joint third with Wellington's Andrew Henare on 284, one ahead of New Plymouth's Regan MacRae and Canterbury's Andrew Searle.

The Wellington pair of Brenden Stuart and national junior representative Perry Hayman were on 286 to share seventh place and national representative Kevin Chun, of Auckland, shared ninth on 288 with Hamilton's James Gill.

Iles, who plays out of the Manor Park club in Wellington, started yesterday with a one-shot lead, which he increased to three shots midway through the round.

MacRae reduced the margin to one after 12 holes, but birdies to Iles at the 14th and 15th holes provided him with a handy buffer.

Ropiha finished with 71 after hitting two birdies in the final six holes and narrowly missing an eagle on the par-five 18th to force a play-off.

Iles, who won the 2003 North Island title in Gisborne, said he had been ready to put himself under more pressure this week after returning from a useful campaign in Australia.

"I've just been trying to produce some solid numbers on the board over recent weeks and I was quite confident coming into this week," Iles said.

"The toughest part is getting my mind around the game, and to think my way around the course.

"This week that seemed to click. On this course you need to cut your losses and put the ball in the right position. I managed to do that and I think that was why I won."

Iles said his game still had plenty of room for improvement. He now heads to Blenheim for the South Island amateur starting on Thursday, ahead of the New Zealand amateur in Palmerston North next month.

Yesterday's best round in demanding winds and occasional rain was a superb six-under 66 by Hayman.

Hayman, who endured a nine-over 81 on Saturday, produced eight birdies, including four in the final six holes, to give him a real boost before next week's Clare Higson under-18 international in Australia.

Holten, who won the Riversdale Cup international in Australia a fortnight ago, finished with three birdies in the final four holes for a 69 to record his eighth sub-par finish from his last nine tournaments.

- NZPA