Golf: Fasth as good as his word

Sweden's Niclas Fasth holds up the spoils of victory after winning a playoff with Miles Tunnicliff at the 2005 Holden New Zealand Open on Sunday. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Niclas Fasth talks a big game and backed it up with a scintillating display to win the New Zealand Open title at Gulf Harbour yesterday.

The 32-year-old Swede had been the dominant figure at the $1.5 million Holden-sponsored Open and he held off a resilient Miles Tunnicliff in a play-off to clinch his first European Tour title in five years since winning the Madeira Island Open.

Fasth kept a cool head to put down the dapper Tunnicliff, sinking a birdie putt at the second playoff hole after the pair had finished a stunning 22-under par.

Tunnicliff had played the role of the dog with a bone in the final round. He needed to be to stay in touch with the Swede who went out in 31 for the first nine holes, including an eagle three at the sixth.

Every time one of the chasing bunch bagged a birdie, Fasth put his head down and grabbed another. He played some sensational golf, and in the end he needed every bit of it.

Fasth does not live up to his name on the course. Fasth by name is slow from tee to green but when he raised his arms after completing his 18 holes in 63, he must have felt the title was his.

He'd have been aware Tunnicliff had pushed a close-range birdie putt to draw level past the 17th hole. But faced with a 6m putt to force the playoff a few minutes later, Tunnicliff sunk it with a terrific, aggressive stroke.

More drama followed. At the first playoff hole, the 18th, Tunnicliff's approach shot flew the green and bounced off 12-year-old June Eun Jung's head, ricocheting 30m into light green-side rough. She was taken to hospital.

Tunnicliff was visibly concerned.

"It wasn't nice seeing her put on a stretcher but they told me she was okay," he said.

"Sorry about that," he said to the girl before regathering his thoughts. Showing steely nerves, he plopped a gentle pitch close enough to hole the putt.

So back up to the 18th tee they went, this time Fasth holing a 3.6m putt for the win.

"To win here is fantastic," 32-year-old Fasth, a former Ryder Cup player, said.

He went to work on his game last year, unhappy with several aspects of it. There's no doubting his self-belief, however. Fasth said he had played terrific golf most of the week and "putted fantastic".

"I feel really, really good about my game. It is strong in most respects and I am expecting it to fall into place more and more."

Fasth had a tangle of his own with a spectator, dropping a shot on the 9th fairway into a woman's lap for which he was not penalised.

"Unfortunately this happens every week. I don't think there is any way of avoiding it. We try to hit it straight," he added.

As for Tunnicliff, who had been after for his third European Tour, he had been unhappy with his form coming into the Open. He leaves New Zealand in a much happier frame of mind.

"It was really enjoyable coming down the last few holes. It gives you a bit of a buzz," he said.

The best round of the day came from Englishman Steve Webster with a 10-under 62, a course record and equalled the Open record of Australians Rodger Davis (1986) and Paul Gow (2000).

Of the 79 players out yesterday, 13 shot over par, most notably past champion Craig Parry and overnight leader, young Englishman Oliver Wilson. Wilson needed a steady start, but a bogey at the second and another at the ninth effectively ended his hopes of a maiden Tour title.

At various points of the afternoon, there were challenges from a range of players.

Victorian lefthander Richard Green had a crack, but a bogey 5 at the ninth dented his hopes.

Queenslander Simon Nash shared third with Green, three birdies in the last seven holes putting a broad smile on the redhead's face.

Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara, Irishman Damien McGrane and popular Sydneysider - and past Open winner - Peter O'Malley all gave it a lash but were either too far back to start with or were unable to sustain a run.

Steve Alker was New Zealand's best performer, finishing in a share of seventh with a fine 5-under yesterday to finish at 15-under. Stephen Scahill shot a 7-under 65 to share 17th and Gareth Paddison had a 69 to end equal 67th.

Open playoff

* Niclas Fasth and Miles Tunnicliff equal on 266.

* Fasth wins with a birdie at the second play-off hole.

* The Swede pockets $246,240, the Englishman $139,536.