Golf: Old talent and young tee off

The master and the apprentice will tee off together in the leading group at the NZPGA tournament at Clearwater, Christchurch, this afternoon.

Peter O'Malley, a 39-year-old from Bathurst, has been on the European tour for 16 seasons and won this tournament in 2002 with a master class in iron play.

Jarrod Lyle, a 23-year-old Victorian, is playing only his ninth tournament as a professional and was placed third in the Heineken Classic in Melbourne this month.

They share a 10-under-par total of 134, one clear of American Jeff Gove and the overnight leader, Australian Steven Bowditch.

Best-placed New Zealander is David Smail in 11th place on 138, after shooting his second 69. Tony Christie slumped from his opening 66 to a 73, dropping four shots in three holes and then putting his tee shot into the water on his last hole. Five under for the tournament gives him a share of 15th.

The other Kiwis to make the cut of two-under 142 were Steve Alker on 140 and Mahal Pearce and Brad Heaven on 141.

Both O'Malley, who had a 68, and Lyle, with 67, played in the morning when the greens were soft with dew and only a gentle breeze. By late evening there was significant wind and more is forecast for today.

"I'd like to see a bit of wind," said O'Malley. "The way I'm striking it that would be to my advantage.

"Today it's been about hitting the ball in the fairway, hitting the green and making a few putts. I missed one fairway and one green today and that was my one dropped shot."

Lyle, who missed cuts at Gulf Harbour and Adelaide last week, has yet to drop a shot at Clearwater.

"The course sets up well for me and I'm starting to sink a few putts," said the chunky Victorian, who battled leukaemia four years ago. "I drive it really straight and try to hit as many fairways as possible."

His most spectacular birdie didn't involve the putter. He hooked his teeshot into a bunker on the 188m par-three ninth and then holed his second from the sand. Bowditch added a 71 to his opening 64, bogeying the last to drop out of the lead and mixing four birdies with a double-bogey in his usual adventurous style.