KEY POINTS:
New Zealand golfer Gareth Paddison eagled the last hole to soar up the leader board at the European PGA tour's Italian Open tournament in Milan yesterday.
Paddison carded a five-under 67 in superb conditions on the Castello di Tolcinasco course, to end just three shots off the lead. It left Paddison, 27, from Wellington, trailing the leading duo of England's Ross McGowan and Paraguay's Marco Ruiz, who head the field on eight-under.
McGowan, who birdied six of his outward nine holes, won twice last year on the secondary Challenge Tour. Ruiz came to fame when he flirted with the lead at one stage of the 2003 British Open at Royal St Georges.
England's Mark Foster, Scotland's Marc Warren and South African Hennie Otto are next best on seven under. Paddison is in a 10-way tie for 14th that includes American former British Open champion John Daly.
Paddison's round also included five birdies and his 67 is the second occasion in recent weeks the former New Zealand amateur strokeplay champion has shot five-under. He handed in a similar score on day three of last week's Spanish Open in Seville.
"It was a pretty steady round of golf and I really got it going when I birdied three-in-a-row from my fourth hole.
"But to eagle the last was great and it certainly makes dinner taste that much nicer tonight," he said.
Steve Alker, the only other New Zealander, carded 75.
- NZPA