Bowditch goes wire to wire in Toowoomba
BY Bruce Young | Australasian PGA Tour | 2009 Queensland PGA | Round Four | 08 Nov 2009
Steve Bowditch, already a proven front runner in tournament golf, was a decisive winner of the Cellarbrations Queensland PGA Championship at the City Golf Club in Toowoomba today, leading the event from start to finish.
In blustery northerly winds but thankfully fine conditions after the opening two days had been disrupted by inclement weather, Bowditch took an eight shot lead into the final round and was never seriously challenged although Tasmanian Clint Rice put together a final round of 64 to keep the Queenslander honest.
It had been necessary for the opening two rounds to be completed on the day following their original scheduled time but the final two days proved to be perfect.
Nearly five years ago Bowditch blitzed the field at the Jacobs Creek Open in what was his last tournament win but between then and now he has experienced a roller coaster ride in his professional career. That victory in 2005, along with a runner up finish at the New Zealand PGA Championship the following week, set him up for his USPGA Tour card in 2006 but he lost that in the first year and it has been struggle since.
A few weeks ago it appeared things made a turn for the better when he put together a few good finishes late in the season on the Nationwide Tour and this week’s convincing victory is a continuation of that improvement.
Bowditch adds this title to the Queensland Open title he won in 2004 and will this week play the JB Were Masters before heading to the US for Stage Two of the Tour School.
The Bowditch household will be buoyed by the fact that now only has Steven has won after such a long drought but that his sister Leanne has gained her card this week to play on the Duramed Futures Tour in 2010 after a good collegiate career at Pepperdine University.
Rice picked up five shots in his first five holes today but the margin Bowditch enjoyed at the end of day three was always going to be a huge task to get near never mind overcome. The man from Launceston who plays the Canadian Tour for the three years of his playing career put up a valiant effort however.
New Zealander Mike Hendry who finished joint third at the WA Open two weeks ago continued that form to finish third outright although he will rue a dropped shot at the last.
Another Queenslander, Michael Wright, who is on track for a Japan Tour card in 2010, finished 4th after a final round of 66.
