Bowditch equals course record to lead Victorian PGA

BY iseekgolf.com | Von Nida Tour | 2005 Victorian PGA Championship | Round Three | 04 Mar 2005

Steven Bowditch proved he had lots of game with an outstanding debut win in Adelaide a fortnight ago at the Jacob’s Creek Open. He backed up that thrilling victory with a strong second at the New Zealand PGA a week last Sunday.

The 21-year-old sustained his rich vein of form in round three of the National Bank Victorian PGA Championship with an incredible eight under par 64 to equal the Sanctuary Lakes course record. With rounds of 70, 66 and 64 Bowditch has a stranglehold on the title, taking a four-shot lead into tomorrow’s final round.

He plundered nine birdies for the day before dropping a shot on the final hole when he went within a whisker of driving out of bounds. The subsequent recovery from deep rough landed in a greenside bunker but he failed to get up-and-down to save par.

“My swing is in a great spot and the putting stroke’s feeling good,” said the new sensation of Australian golf. “Hopefully I can get a good night’s sleep and do it again tomorrow.”

Bowditch, by his own admission, is tired and looking forward to a well-earned rest back home on the Sunshine Coast. And a lethargic final round from the runaway leader is probably the only hope for the chasing pack headed by Victorian Cameron Percy, who compiled a flawless 66 to follow earlier rounds of 70 and 68.

Another Victorian Andrew Pitt had an up and down day, a double bogey on the last dropping him to third place at eleven under with rounds of 72, 64 and 69.

Tony McFadyean (70, 69, 67) is a further shot away at -10, while Queenslander Bradley Andrews also caught fire with a 65 to be outright fifth.

Young Aaron Townsend from Newcastle covered the front nine in only 30 shots and kept it together over the closing holes to shoot a third round 65.

Source – PGA Australia
Photo – Anthony Powter