Late stumble denies Scott outright lead in NZ
IN: News | New Zealand Mens Amateur | New Zealand Amateur Championship (2007) | by Bruce Young : iseekgolf.com | 17 Apr 2007
Australian Grant Scott was poised to be outright leader at the halfway mark of the New Zealand 72-hole stroke-play championship until disaster befell him at the penultimate hole at the Hamilton Golf Club today.
The par-4 270m eighth hole (his 17th) at St Andrews has provided a birdie feast for the 144-strong field on the first two days and Scott held a one-shot lead playing it. But he took double bogey to drop one behind the three New Zealand leaders only to birdie the last to join the trio atop the leaderboard after 36 holes.
Leading with him on six-under 138 were seasoned New Zealand representative, Troy Ropiha (New Plymouth), who posted the day’s best round of five-under 67, Bay of Plenty representative, Kevin Smith (Tauranga), and recent winner of the North Island stroke-play title, 18-year-old Nick Gillespie (Hastings).
A shot behind on five-under was Australian match-play champion, Rohan Blizard, from the New South Wales club. He had a frustrating day of the greens and had just the one birdie to go with 17 pars.
Home-course player, James Gill, arguably New Zealand’s top amateur, had a second round 69 to be just two shots off the pace and in a share of sixth place with Australian Jamie Arnold, who was second overnight.
The leading Kiwi trio all played in the morning and had the better of the conditions with a gusting south westerly and quicker greens testing the patience of the afternoon field. Scott, who won the New Zealand foursomes on Monday, started with an eagle on the 10th and played the more difficult back nine in four-under 31.
He went eight-under with a birdie at the first, but lost momentum with a bogey at the second and a double bogey at the third. That preceded his second eagle of the round, his No. 7 iron second shot to the par-5 fourth finishing less than a metre away.
But the good work was undone at the eighth, a hole many drive the green. “I hit a bad drive and was dead âÄ“ I was on in three but three-putted from six feet,” he lamented.
Ropiha, played the back nine first and turned in three-under 32 after four birdies and a bogey at the 16th. He was solid rather than spectacular on the front nine, but birdies at the sixth and eighth propelled him to top of the leaderboard.
Smith also played the more difficult back nine first and was content to par all nine holes. His first birdie was at the par-3 third and he backed up with an eagle at the par-5 450m fourth hole when his No. 6 iron approach bounced off the bank and finished only a few rolls from the cup.
Overnight leader by one after a 66, Andrew Searle (Russley), had a disastrous start, turning in eight-over 43 after playing the back nine first. He was nine-over after 14 holes, but steadied his round with three pars and a welcome birdie on the last hole.
The cut was at seven-over 151 with 79 players left to compete for the national title over the next two days. A notable name to miss was Blake McGrory, the New Zealand-born Queensland-based amateur who won this year’s coveted Lake Macquarie tournament.
Source – NZGA
