Lonard wins NSW Open nailbiter

BY iseekgolf.com | Von Nida Tour | 2004 New South Wales Open | Wrap | 21 Nov 2004

It was the nail-biting finish everyone was hoping for and Peter Lonard had to call on all his experience from playing on the $300m US PGA Tour to claim the $100,000 New South Wales Open Championship at Liverpool Golf Club.

“This is the highlight of 2004 for me,” said Lonard after holing a one and half metre putt for par at the 72nd hole to claim victory by two shots from Central Coast golfer Anthony Summers.

Minutes earlier the pair had arrived at the final hole locked together on 18-under par following an eagle three at the 17th by Summers to draw level with his illustrious opponent.

Click here for Peter Lonard victory interview

Still Summers admitted he became a little too excited and hit one of his worst shots of the week to find water at the 18th.

He took a drop and missed a tricky three-metre putt for bogey to fall two shots behind.

The tournament’s other big-name star Paul Gow shot a slick final-day 66 to grab third spot on 15-under par, one ahead of big-hitting Concord amateur Won Joon Lee (69).

Lee was in the hunt for most of the day against two very experienced opponents.

The 19-year-old frequently outdrove his more-seasoned rivals with shots Lonard later suggested “had smoke coming off them”.

When Summers’ final-hole tee shot found the water, Lonard’s experience kicked in as he played well away from the water and calmly two-putted for a par and a two-shot win.

“It wasn’t that pretty, in fact I was a bit rough around the edges on some shots but I got the job done,” Lonard said. "I hit a few irons shots stiff out there today and I haven’t done that for a long time.

“I hit a poor bunker shot on 17 but I had only been in two bunkers before that all week. Those two had heaps of sand under the ball. This one hardly had any. I actually holed a good putt for par there.”

Lonard commented that last Sunday he felt like he couldn’t hit it to save his life.

“Honestly I was worried about coming out here and making an idiot of myself,” he said. “That 65 I fired on Friday was probably my best round of golf for a year and a half.”

Summers was left ruing the missed opportunity to score the biggest win of his career.

Still the easy-going Central Coast golfer said he still felt ecstatic with his effort.

“I put myself in with a chance to win the event and that’s all you can do,” he said. “If I keep doing that often enough eventually the breakthough will come. I was a bit quick and a bit nervous on that last hole. But I hit so many quality shots this week it is hard to be too upset.”

Summers said he had a conditional card on the Asian PGA Tour for 2005 and was hoping to improve his ranking there.

Gow was thrilled with his effort and admitted he was itching for a crack at The Australian Golf Club in the following week’s Centenary Australian Open at Kensington.

“I love that course and can’t wait for a crack at it. The course probably suits Pete [Lonard] more than me because he hits it a little bit longer than I do,” Gow said.

New South Wales Open officials were thrilled with the response from western Sydney golf fans.

With admission to the tournament free, fans flocked the fairways and were able to walk alongside their heroes. Even rock singer Jimmy Barnes walked Liverpool for four days following his good mate Lonard.

Source – NSWGA
Photo – A. Powter