McKechnie survives NSW Open

BY Anthony Powter | Australasian PGA Tour | 2009 New South Wales Open | Round Four | 29 Nov 2009

Leigh McKechnie secured his first major Australian Tour title winning the NSW Open with a final round 2-under-par 69, to outlast a determined James Nitties at The Vintage Golf Club in the Hunter Valley.

McKechnie, winner earlier in the season at the Mackay Pro-Am, fired rounds of 70-72-70-69 to finish a stroke ahead of James Nitties after Nitties carded rounds of 65-68-73-76.

Scott Arnold fired the day’s low round in a display of peerless golf in the horrendous  conditions to finish in outright third place, with a 5-under-par 66 to record another top-5 finish after finishing in a tie for runner-up last week at the NSW PGA Championship in Wollongong.

Arnold’s 66 will have to go down as one of the rounds of the year and at one stage the 24-year-old took the lead at this championship despite being the 5th group out for the day. Arnold, winner of the Australia Amateur back in March, will go into the Australian Open on Thursday, on his home course, with plenty of confidence.

The former world number 1 ranked amateur is an exciting talent and a player to follow during the Australian Open this week. Arnold should perform well given his knowledge of the NSW Golf Club layout.

Overnight leader Jason Norris struggled in the gusty conditions, which at times had winds reaching 50km, causing havoc on the exposed greens like the 6th at The Vintage, where many a double bogey was recorded and a player’s round destroyed early.

Norris, winner at the NSW Open in 2007, finished with a 8-over-par 79, to be even par for the championship and for a tie for fourth position, along with New Zealander, Mark Purser.

McKechnie started the final round seven shots behind Norris and was able to capitalised on some luck on the par 3, 8th signature hole at The Vintage, when he hole his bunker shot for a birdie. The birdie would provide the momentum to keep his score going during a day where pars were hard fort, particularly on the 8th at The Vintage.

With birdies on three of the last six holes coming in, including on the 18th, once McKechnie had posted the 3-under-par score, he was coy as to whether the number might be right to take the championship with Nitties still out on the course.

“I came into this event with some form,” said McKechnie, who finished 17th at the JBWere Masters.

“I won earlier in the season in Mackay, so I felt my game was there. Coming in there this afternoon I had no idea that I was leading. I purposely didn’t look at the leader board, as the conditions were just unpredictable. I thought 3-under would be close to the mark, but you never know.”

The past few years have been hard for McKechnie with injury and trying to making a living from the game.

“It’s been tough, both on myself and my family,” said and emotional McKechnie during the presentation ceremony.

“We’ve being able to hung in there and today’s win certainly makes it all worth while.”

With winning the NSW Open, McKechnie certainly gets a start at the Australian Open this week and will also probably be starting at the PGA Championship in Coolum in a fortnight.

James Nitties had his chances to claim the title after an eagle on the 14th, followed by a birdie on the 15th to share the lead with McKechnie at 3-under. A bogey on the par 3, 17th by Nitties effectively meant he had to birdie the 18th to force a play-off.

In a day where the championship was evenly in the balance with numerous players such as Scott Arnold, James Nitties and Jason Norris, having the trophy within their grasp, McKechnie was able to break through to claim his maiden Australian Tour win.

When Nitties’ approach into the 18th came short of the cup and his putt missed, McKechnie’s wait had come to the end and he’d become the NSW Open Champion.

It was a well deserved victory in a day where anything could have happened.

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