KEY POINTS:
Nathan Green watched a bit of cricket and golf, and munched on a steak-and-cheese pie he pronounced as tops, as he twiddled his thumbs through the afternoon at Gulf Harbour yesterday.
He was a man waiting to be overtaken. Thirty-eight golfers began the final day of the New Zealand Open ahead of the little Australian, but none could match his sizzling 6-under 65, which was enough to give him victory by two shots.
It provided a fitting end to a remarkable year for the 31-year-old from Newcastle, who was second-best rookie on the US PGA Tour this year with six top 10 placings.
Green finished on 279, five under par, and had to put a ride to the airport in mid-afternoon on hold.
When he came off the course shortly after 2pm he tipped a few players to go past him. It can't be a good feeling: not exactly a lingering death, more a case of waiting for sentence to be handed down. But his pessimism was misplaced.
"You never wish bad on another player but my heart was in my mouth. It was tough to watch," Green said.
He'd got a break by teeing up in the morning. Although it blew all day, Green reckoned yesterday there were two Gulf Harbours, the morning and afternoon versions.
But the numbers told a story. Green tore off four birdies at the first five holes. His solitary dropped shot came at the par 4 366m 10th but he kept his game together and got the ultimate reward, plus a cheque for $272,000.
Green had a point. The Blue Chip-sponsored Open could have been won by any of several contenders. But none were able to grasp their chance.
Michael Campbell reckons he brushed the hole with birdie-securing putts half a dozen times, at one point wagging his finger at his putter. He flirted with the lead without actually getting his nose in front.
He turned for home in even par and when he drilled a long-range putt for birdie at 11, flung his arms out, sensing it might be the start of a big run home.
But he dropped a shot at 13 when he hit his approach over the back of the green; saved pars at 14 and 15 but just could not get the red numbers he needed.
Too often he had to make big shots to save par.
At the 18th, he pulled his approach into a hollow left of the green and had to settle for a 1-over 72 and a six-way share of second.
Of the three overnight leaders, Australians Kim Felton and Marcus Fraser, and Englishman Graeme Storm, only Fraser really got himself in the hunt.
No Storm clouds gathered as he fell over on the back nine, and West Australian Felton strung 12 straight pars together before dropping four shots in the last five holes.
Fraser was a different story. The Melburnian was the only player to touch 7-under par yesterday, when he birdied the par 3 third.
The 28-year-old led until the 14th when he dropped a shot after his chip on hit the hole and he missed the putt. He plonked his tee shot at 16 in the sand, missed a birdie chance at 17 and bogeyed the last.
In the morning, Swede Daniel Chopra bagged four birdies at his first seven holes to reach 5 under, before dropping a hat-trick at 14, 15 and 16.
Aussies Peter O'Malley and Brett Rumford were there or thereabouts and the most improbable contender was England's Nick Dougherty, a joint leader at halfway on Friday, but who seemed gone after a Saturday shocker of 8-over 79.
He bounced back spiritedly yesterday, carding the second-best round of the day, a 4-under 67, to earn a share of second.
The only New Zealanders apart from Campbell to finish the tournament better than even par were Michael Long and Tim Wilkinson, who ended at 1-under 283 as part of a six-way share of 12th.
Last year, Swede Niclas Fasth won the Open at a rollicking 22-under par. This time, Gulf Harbour bit back. Course superintendent Tony Jonas predicted a score between 7 and 10-under could win it. His course did him proud.
TOP FINISHERS
279: Nathan Green (Australia) 71 67 76 65.
281: Nick Dougherty (England) 69 66 79 67; Wade Ormsby (Australia) 72 63 76 70; Jarrod Moseley (Australia) 68 70 73 70; Brett Rumford (Australia) 71 70, 69 71; Michael Campbell (NZ) 71 65 73 72; Marcus Fraser (Australia) 69 69 70 73.
282: Simon Wakefield (England) 69 73 71 69; Scott Strange (Australia) 67 70 74 71; Greg Chalmers (Australia) 68 70 72 72; Peter O'Malley (Australia) 72 71 66 73.
