As the heat showed no signs of abating, the 103rd New Zealand Open saw a couple of the Kiwi fans’ hopefuls swelter, but there are some names that will be worth keeping tabs on with the tournament wide open as it rolls into Sunday.
Josh Geary is one, he managed to continue his form from day two into the third - after just one birdie in his first nine holes he potted four after the turn to head into the final day at 13-under and tied for second.
He said despite the tough conditions as the wind got up and greens dried out, he was pleased that he remained patient and ended up still close to the top of the leaderboard.
“It was extremely difficult with the wind direction changes on a whim, the firmness of the greens, the different paces of the greens - it was a grind.
“It was just a really good positioning day; put your ball in the right place otherwise you get found out pretty quick.”
With the conditions the way they were at Millbrook Resort, Geary said he was happy to play it safe while taking his opportunities as they presented themselves.
“Yeah it wasn’t bad. I hit it in the right spots most of the day and my two bogeys were from actually really easy positions... it’s a fine line between giving it a go without stuffing it up. Overall very good, I just sort of kept it in play, did my thing.”
Kiwi fans will pin their hopes on Josh Geary to end the Kiwi drought at the NZ Open. Photo / Photosport
New Zealand golf fans will be hopeful Geary is the one to end the Kiwi drought at the Open, and the Invercargill local said after a number of close calls, getting one over the line would be amazing.
“It’d be amazing, I’ve had so many close calls over the years at this event so it’d be pretty cool to get it across the line.”
But he was unable to close the gap entirely on Australians Matthew Griffin and Scott Hend, who again sit atop the New Zealand Open leaderboard at 14-under, with a one-shot lead over the pack.
Then there was a certain James Hydes - who before today only the keenest of New Zealand golf fans would have been aware of.
After starting the day on the cut number of four-under and a nervous wait through Friday dinner to see if he would be a part of the weekend field, the World no. 4172 turned in a card his compatriots would envy.
“It was ultra nerve-wracking coming in yesterday, I was real stoked just to make the cut really, it was a long wait over dinner just to see if I was going to make it and I felt like today I could just kind of free it up a bit and climb that leaderboard as much as I can,” he said after his third round.
A seven-under 64 featuring eight birdies and just a solitary bogey was enough to sit him tied for eight and the North Harbour representative said it was only after a stretch of three consecutive birdies that he knew he was onto something special.
“I didn’t really get off to a hot start, I was one over through three or four holes then I made three birdies in a row I think and that kind of kicked me off. I made three birdies on reasonably hard holes so I knew I had some chances coming in and I just took advantage of that.”
Not out of the race by any stretch is Queenstown local Ben Campbell, he toiled in the heat with three bogeys, a double-bogey, three birdies and an eagle to sit at nine-under and tied for 21st.
Dan Hillier had a round to forget, carding a six-over 77 to slip back to a tie for 70th for the tournament.
