Golf: Players check bags for banned drivers

A 19-page list of illegal golf clubs sent competitors in the final qualifying round for this week's New Zealand Open scurrying to their bags in Auckland yesterday.

Tournament director Phil Aickin had the drivers banned following an agreement between the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and the United States Golf Association.

Yesterday's qualifying round at The Grange in Auckland was the first event to run under the new regulations and a number of players were forced to remove drivers from their bags.

It did not stop Christchurch professional Tony Christie from firing eight birdies and one double bogey for a six-under 64, the day's low score by two shots.

Christie, who has played little golf in the past year, had six birdies in the first nine holes, but double-bogeyed the long par-four 13th when he hit into the hazard.

"I've had a year off, but I'm keen again," he said.

North Harbour representative Josh Carmichael was the second qualifier, with a two-under 68, a shot ahead of a quartet including Auckland tournament professional Jason McCarty, Japanese professional Chutaro Isobe, former national amateur champion Chris Johns (North Harbour) and Rotorua schoolboy Terry Hong.

Twenty-seven players qualified for the Open, which starts at the Middlemore course on Thursday.

Five golfers played off for the last four places, with Marlborough professional Garth Domigan dropping out with a bogey at the first hole.

Rotorua 14-year-old Jae An, who became the youngest player to qualify for the Open last year, gained one of the final qualifying spots, joining his Rotorua Boys High School team-mate Hong.



* Three years after a narrow playoff loss to Tiger Woods, Ernie Els won the Mercedes Championship in grand fashion at Kapalua, Hawaii, yesterday, tapping in at the last hole for birdie and a record total of 31 under.

Els, who held at least a share of the lead in all four rounds, easily held off Korean KJ Choi and an on-fire Rocco Mediate by an eight-stroke margin to claim the title at this winners-only tournament.

Els fired a six-under 67.

Starting the round a couple back, Choi was never a threat to Els, going round in even-par to finish on 23 under, level with Mediate, who had turned in a 10-under 63 to move up from a tie for 10th.

Fiji's Vijay Singh carded a 65 to share fourth place with Retief Goosen, of South Africa, who had a 69.

Jonathan Byrd shared honours for the low round of the day with Mediate, shooting a 63 to move to 21 under and a share of sixth place with 2001 winner Jim Furyk, Chris Riley and Bob Estes.

New Zealanders Phil Tataurangi and Craig Perks finished on 277, 16 strokes behind Els.

* South African golfer Trevor Immelman could not have chosen a more perfect setting for his first European Tour victory yesterday.

He won the South African Open with a birdie three at the first hole of a sudden-death playoff against compatriot Tim Clark at Erinvale Golf Club in Somerset West, the course where he learned the game.

"Dreams do not come much better than mine," Immelman said.

"I have played this course many thousands of times, and a lot of people who knew me as a child were here today to witness my breakthrough."

Immelman fired a final-round 67 and Clark a 69, on a par-72 course developed on the lower slopes of a mountain range, to finish on 274, 14 under par.

Another five South Africans shared third place, three strokes behind.

- AGENCIES