Golf: Tataurangi targets spot in first major

Phil Tataurangi is targeting a berth in his first major after finishing fifth in the MasterCard Colonial tournament at Fort Worth, Texas, yesterday.

The Taupo 30-year-old felt he played his best golf of the week in yesterday's final round but his one-under-par 69 was not as good as his leading rivals and he slipped from second overnight to a tie for fifth on six-under.

Zimbabwe's Nick Price defended his healthy overnight lead and won comfortably on 13-under after carding 67 yesterday.

It was five shots back to Americans Kenny Perry and David Toms, but they were never a threat to Price, who won his first US PGA Tour title since 1998.

Playing on a course near his Dallas home, Tataurangi started the day knowing it would take something special to haul Price in.

"It was going to take him playing poorly to do that," Tataurangi said. "If I had gone out and shot five or six-under then there was a chance, but as it turned out he birdied the first two holes and he was never in any danger even though he bogeyed a couple on the front nine."

The New Zealander was happy with his own game, which continued a consistent run of form on the world's toughest stage.

A top 50 world ranking was required to break into the field for the US and British Opens but Tataurangi was more interested in the qualifying process for the fourth major, the PGA Championship.

The top 70 money-earners in the US since last year's PGA Championship gain automatic entry.

Tataurangi estimated at least US$800,000 ($1.71 million) in prizemoney would be needed to be among the top 70 money-earners. His US$163,400 cheque yesterday took this year's earnings to US$544,077, 49th on the money list.

* Te Awamutu's Gina Scott capped a good week by finishing third at the Italian Open in Tuscany yesterday, five shots behind the winner, Denmark's Ibex Tinning. Of the other New Zealanders Lynnette Brooky tied for 27th, but Catherine Knight failed to make the cut.

* New Zealand's Marnie McGuire finished in a five-way tie for tenth place at the Asahi Championship in South Carolina, won by Scotland's Janice Moodie by seven strokes.

McGuire picked up US$22,074 ($47,225).

- NZPA