KEY POINTS:
Kiwi professional Eddie Lee and Australian Ben Burge fired six-under 66s to lead the way at the NZ PGA Championship final qualifying round at Shirley yesterday.
Four places were available to complete the 156-strong field for the US$600,000 ($857,000) tournament starting tomorrow and Lee, Burge and Manawatu professional Hamish Robertson, with a 67, secured the first three spots.
Four players - Australians Craig Jones and Anthony Brown and New Zealand professionals Ben Gallie and Josh Carmichael - contested a sudden-death playoff for the final place.
Jones, the 1994 New Zealand Open champion, won at the third extra hole when his six iron shot hit the flag at the par three and he holed the 2.5m birdie putt.
Lee, a former New Zealand Eisenhower representative, who developed his game in Canterbury, will play the Japanese tour for the first time this year after mixed success on the Asian tour. He had seven birdies to be seven under after 15 but dropped his only shot at the 17th.
Burge played the back nine in 5-under 31 with six birdies including the last four holes. Robertson had halves of 32-35 and highlighted his 67 with an eagle at the par 5 fifth hole.
