Golf: Gallie claws back to win matchplay on first playoff hole

By BOB PEARCE

Ben Gallie became the first Otago golfer for 53 years to win the national matchplay title when he beat Matthew Peter from Rangiora at the 37th hole of the final yesterday.

The 22-year-old, who has been named in a New Zealand team to play in Australia and Malaysia, fought his way back on the immaculate Mt Maunganui course from two down with three to play.

He birdied the par-four 34th from 20 feet, halved the par-three 35th in par and on the last hole of regulation, sank a downhill eight-footer for a birdie three to keep the match alive.

Peter found a difficult lie to the left from the tee on the first extra hole and had to play to the right of the green. From there he made bogey.

Gallie made a regulation par to become the first winner in a playoff since Aucklander Terry Cochrane beat the current chief executive of the New Zealand Golf Association, Phil Aickin, at the 39th in 1981 at Timaru.

The last Otago winner was Tony Gibbs at Balmacewen in 1948.

"I didn't really feel any pressure because I was always down," Gallie said later. "I played horribly in the morning, but I was more relaxed in the afternoon.

"On the 16th in the afternoon I gave the putt my best shot and it went in. On the last, I thought this is a pretty easy putt.

"I didn't really think about winning and I think that helped me a bit.

"It qualified me for the [New Zealand] Open and that will be good because I want to turn professional next year."

There was great sympathy and admiration for Peter in defeat.

The 19-year-old made the Canterbury senior team only last year and, after shooting 78 to be 107th in the field after the first round of the strokeplay at Mt Maunganui, prepared to fly home the next day.

But he got on track with a 68 and claimed a series of notable scalps on the way to the matchplay final. It was a measure of the solidity of his game that his bogey on the first playoff hole was his first in 20 holes.

A great putter, he was almost bulletproof from 10 feet out. Sadly, on that extra hole, he used up three shots before reaching the green.

The Kiwis had sent the surviving Australians packing in the semifinals of the Heineken event, with Peter putting Steven Bowditch off the course to win 4 and 3 and Gallie accounting for 1999 champion Andrew Duffin 5 and 4.

The only Australian victory came in the plate final where Matthew Ballard beat Bradley Iles 5 and 4.

The R and A Rosebowl went to Doug Batty and the R and A Plate was won by Clarke Osborne.