Nineteen-year-old Wellington twins Peter and Thomas Spearman-Burn finished first and second in the North Island strokeplay golf championship at Muriwai yesterday, the first time brothers have quinellaed a national event of this stature.
The result adds to the laurels the twins have won in the past 12 months. Thomas won the national matchplay title at Paraparaumu last year and was top amateur in the NZ Open this year; Peter, older by two minutes, has won both the North and South Island strokeplay titles.
The North Island women's title yesterday went to the precocious 11-year-old Lydia Ko from Pupuke by one shot from 13-year-old Hanee Song from North Shore.
Peter Spearman-Burn began the final round with a three-shot lead over his brother and the tall Aucklander Fraser Wilkin. Muriwai's Scott Johnson was two shots further back.
Johnson quickly emerged as a threat as he played the first nine holes four under to close within two. When Peter Spearman-Burn had a double-bogey on the par-three 11th, where he missed the green and hit his second into a bunker, they were level.
Johnson took the lead with a birdie on the 13th but Spearman-Burn surged back with an eagle on the 14th and clinched his win with birdies on the 16th and 17th. He finished with a two-under 70 for a six-under total of 282.
Brother Thomas had an eagle on the par-four 16th where he holed his wedged second for a final round of 69 and a total of 284, two shots behind.
Johnson finished with a 70 despite a bogey on the 17th and a double-bogey on the last. He was level on 287 with Wilkin,
"I missed a few tap-ins early on and then I had a horror on the 11th," said the champion.
"But the eagle on the 14th set me up again.
I put the ball close on the 16th and 17th for short birdie putts and then holed a good putt for a par on the last," he said.
Ko started the final round seven clear of Song but she had to hole a good putt on the last for a 74 to head off Song's closing five-under 68.
Golf: Spearman-Burn edges twin in North Island nailbiter
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