Tschudin, Slattery make moves at Holden NZ Open
IN: News | Australasian PGA | New Zealand Open (2005) | Round Three | 12 Feb 2005
Australian Andrew Tschudin and Englishman Lee Slattery were the big improvers of those with morning starts in the third round of the Holden New Zealand Open golf championship at Gulf Harbour today.
Both carded six-under par 66s to elevate them into the top 20 half way through the third round of the $1.5 million European and Australasian tours co-sanctioned events.
Slattery was fastest out of the blocks. He started sensationally with birdies at the first six holes, but a bogey at the ninth slightly spoilt the front nine which was completed in 31.
On the more testing back nine, he held his form well, firing eight pars and a birdie at the 417m par-4 14th hole, which ranks high among the hardest holes.
Tschudin, from Victoria, was in the third group off and paired with one of the three remaining New Zealanders, Stephen Scahill.
They were well into the round before the wind really intensified and both got to four-under through the 11th, with Tschudin having five birdies and a bogey and Scahill bagging an eagle at the par-5 11th to go with three birdies and one bogey.
Tschudin pressed on with birdies at 13 and 17 to finish with 66, six-under par, whereas Scahill, as he did in the second round, finished disappointingly. He bogeyed the par-5 17th and dropped another shot at the last when his 2m par putt broke past the hole.
Others to make progress on what they call "moving day" were Australians Peter O'Malley, Adam Groom, Matthew Goggin, Craig Parry, Scotsman Alastair Forsyth, Englishman Simon Khan, and New Zealand's big hope Steve Alker.
O'Malley was four under with three to play and the other six were three under midway through their rounds.
The overnight leaders, Niclas Fasth (16 under) and England's Miles Tunnicliff (14 under) teed off at 1.50pm.
Source - NZGA
