Golf: NSW snatch title on final day

Defending champions New South Wales left their best golf to the last important day as they stormed through to win the New Zealand under-23 teams championship for the third year in a row.

Their eight counting rounds over 36 holes on the testing Taupo Centennial course yesterday totalled two under par and they headed off state rivals Queensland by one shot with a tally of 1167.

Bay of Plenty were third on 1173, one shot ahead of Canterbury, who scored well in the morning with a total of one under.

All the action began on the back nine of the deciding fourth round, with the overnight leader Bay of Plenty, Canterbury and Queensland in a three-way tie and New South Wales two shots behind.

Scott Gardiner, the top performer of the tournament, finished with his second successive 3-under 69 for NSW and was ably supported by Warwick Dews with a 1-under 71, Jason King 1-over 73 and Darren MacKay 75.

Queensland stayed in touch thanks to rounds of 71 by Travis Johns and 72 by Matthew Ballard. But the home side Bay of Plenty finally succumbed when national representative Eddie Burgess posted his worst round, a 3-over 75, along with Andrew McNair and their other counting score was 78 - though Matthew Bluett had a 71.

Gardiner, one of Australia's top amateurs, compiled a superb 10-under 278 to lead the individual scoring by eight shots from Johns, with another national representative Reon Sayer (Wellington) next on 287, one under for the tournament.