Golf: Doyle keeps lead, Perry wins

Anthony Doyle. Photo / Getty Images

Local club professional Anthony Doyle will take a seven-shot lead into today's final round of the Shirley Open golf tournament at Christchurch.

In the women's competition, national academy player Emily Perry shot a three-under 71 to come from four shots back to win the women's title decided over 54 holes after a three-way playoff.

Doyle, chasing his second straight home course victory in the final tournament in this year's Charles Tour, fired a two-under par 70 at Christchurch Golf Club in yesterday's third round to move to a 13-under total of 203.

Perry finished sharing the top spot with Cantabrians Jess Guenzerodt and Sylvie Williams on eight-over par, but a par for the Waikato player on the first playoff hole was sufficient for her second Charles Tour win of the year. She won at the Muriwai Open this year over Cecilia Cho, also in a playoff.

It was a repeat performance for Perry, who won in Christchurch last year, and some compensation after she missed out on the New Zealand team for the Espirito Santo Trophy in Argentina.

"Yes I was disappointed not to make that team," Perry said. "But I want to just focus on playing well. I was happy with how I played today."

Starting from the 10th, Perry bagged four birdies with one dropped shot in her first nine holes and mixed two bogeys with two birdies coming home, including a vital one on her 17th hole to grab a share of the lead.

Guenzerodt looked to be out of things with a bogey-double bogey run early in her back nine but she made two birdies in her final three holes to force a place in the playoff.

Williams, a newcomer to the national level, impressed as she fought back from an early double bogey with two birdies and then 10 straight pars.

Doyle mixed five birdies with three dropped shots in his 70 yesterday to take a healthy seven-shot lead over teenager Mark O'Malley going into the final round.

O'Malley's 69 put him one stroke ahead of Christchurch professional Mathew Holten, who shot 73.

Auckland-based professional Brenden Stuart fired five birdies, his 67 moving him into fourth, three shots clear of 2003 New Zealand Open champion Mahal Pearce, who also managed red figures yesterday.

- NZPA