Golf: Spearman-Burn blows hot to head North Island field

Peter Spearman-Burn continued his remarkable run of form when he shot a second three-under 69 at Muriwai yesterday to lead the North Island strokeplay championship by five shots after 36 holes.

The 19-year-old from the Miramar Club in Wellington won the South Island title at Terrace Downs a week ago with a closing round of 66, six under.

His 69 with five birdies on Thursday was a remarkable round on a challenging links course made tougher by fierce squalls of rain and hail. The second 69 in much more comfortable conditions contained only one blemish, a three-putt bogey on the 187m third hole.

"I'm hitting it straight and keeping it in the fairway and that's important here," he said. "Playing at Miramar I know how to play in the wind with low shots and that and my short game's not bad."

Sharing second place are Bay of Plenty golfer Andrew Stewart (Omokoroa), who added a 73 to his opening 70, and Wanganui teenager Tyler Lock, who shot 69 yesterday.

Spearman-Burn's twin, Thomas, shares fourth place with Tane Robson from Cambridge.

Best rounds of the day were 68s for North Harbour representative Scott Johnson and Scott McAlpine from the North Shore Club.

Eighteen-year-old Emily Perry from Cambridge, who was struck down with illness during the recent Queen Sirikit tournament in Bali, showed she is back to her best with a three-under 70 yesterday for a total of 148, two shots clear of the South Island champion, Cecilia Cho (Pakuranga), who added a 74 to her first-round 76.

The other sub-par round in the women's field was a 72 by Rotorua's Saini Skudder, who improved 11 shots on her first round.