Golf: Gates' NZ Open victory

Robert Gates of the USA with the winner's trophy. Photo / Getty Images

What promised to be a victory march became a walk on the wild side before American golfer Robert Gates held on to win the New Zealand Open today.

Six shots clear of his playing partner and nearest rival Andrew Dodt after seven holes, Gates saw his advantage evaporate as stiffening winds scattered the scoring at The Hills, near Queenstown.

But he finally emerged on the right side of the ledger, a closing two-over-par 74 leaving him on 14-under 274 for the championship, one clear of Dodt, who carded 72, and two shots in front of fast finishing American Jamie Lovemark, who shot 68.

Gates, a 24-year-old Texan, had looked on the brink of collapse when a double bogey five on the treacherous 16th enabled the tenacious Dodt to draw level at 14-under.

Both players hit their tee shots on the 17th right in a large fairway bunker containing tussock, but whereas Gates could advance his ball and escaped with his par Dodt posted a double bogey seven, gifting his rival a two-shot cushion heading down the last.

Dodt promptly birdied from 21 feet but Gates held himself together to get up and down from greenside rough for a par to pocket the winner's cheque of US$108,000, ($146,207) became just the 13th player since 1990 to win a Nationwide title at his first attempt and the 23rd to go wire-to-wire in the same time span.

Gates was relieved in more ways than one; both to win the title and that he needed just a three-footer to achieve it.

"I really had to focus. I couldn't tell you how many three-footers I've hit in my lifetime but that's one I will definitely remember."

Gates said that despite appearances he largely felt in control.

"I know it may not have looked like it but I hit almost every shot right where I was looking today.

"The only one I mishit was on 16 when it went in the water. It was the perfect line but I didn't get all of it."

He paid tribute to Dodt, saying the Australian made putts when he needed to as the championship was taken down to the wire.

"It tightened up quick but in the end I'm happy with how it ended up."

The top five were rounded out by Australians Michael Curtain and Mark Hensby, who carded rounds of 72 and 71, while the leading New Zealander, Brad Iles, shot 70 to finish tied for ninth, seven shots back of the winner.

Geary was in the running for a top five result before he fell victim of the 17th, too, with a triple bogey eight.

Of the other New Zealanders, Phil Tataurangi was 16th equal after closing with 74, Brad Iles 19th equal after shooting 73, David Smail fell back to 47th place by virtue of his 78 and Gareth Paddison was 58th after a 77.

It was a wild and woolly finish to a championship stirred into life on the last afternoon as the wind and firm greens saw the scores balloon.

Only 15 of the 66-strong field bettered par today as the average score was bumped up to 73.8.

Not that Gates looked troubled through the front nine as he extended his three-shot overnight lead to six leaving the seven green.

He gifted one back on the par-five ninth after missing the green with his third and fluffing his chip. Another bogey followed by Gates on the 11th and when Dodt drained two birdie putts at 13 and 14 the difference was now just two.

Dodt, a 37-year-old Queenslander who finished 15th on the Asian Tour moneylist in 2009, never dropped his head despite a series of makeable putts going astray on the front side.

"I never gave up. I wanted to try to pin one shot back at a time," Dodt said.

"I was concentrating just on myself, anything else was outside my control."

He said he received a lucky break on the par-three 16th which helped him make par, while Gates' two-shot stumble left them level pegging heading to the 17th tee box.

It unravelled there for Dodt, who said he hit a terrible tee shot.

He had to play sideways out of a large fairway bunker then turned over a four iron into greenside sand before failing to put his sandwedge on to the putting surface.

- NZPA