Parry slays Tiger to snare New Zealand Open

BY Bruce Young | Australasian PGA Tour | 2002 New Zealand Open | Wrap | 13 Jan 2002

Well it has come and gone and I imagine the question might be will New Zealand golf ever be the same again.

Despite the fact that Tiger was unable to seriously challenge the leaders at any stage, the presence of the world number one has lifted this event to a new level but the task ahead for all in New Zealand golf is to build on the momentum and profile the game has received as a result of his presence.

He was a class act through out the event. From the moment he arrived in New Zealand to unprecedented media attention to the moment he holed his last putt for birdie, Tiger thrilled everyone with not only with his charismatic presence but the manner in which he conducted himself under somewhat trying conditions.

He struggled on the greens all week, greens which have always been very difficult to read due to the lack of any real contour and this coupled with a perhaps less than perfect surface saw many, along with Tiger, struggle to read the greens and to rely on the consistency that is normally expected at this level. As is the want and indeed obligation of professional golfers world wide however he did not complain loudly but I would suggest he left Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club frustrated that he was not rewarded for somewhat better play from tee to green than his final placing would suggest.

It is somewhat unfair, however, to spend too much time on Tiger especially given the display and intense battle that his supposed support acts were left to fight out.

Craig Parry, who had been my bet all week to take it to the star turn produced all his fighting qualities on a very difficult back nine and in the face of extreme pressure from Michael Campbell, Steve Alker and Stephen Leaney.

There were several key holes during the course of that back nine but the brilliant birdie three following a long iron to the most difficult hole on the course the thirteenth stood out along with his up and down from behind the green on sixteen, his second to the par four seventeenth again with a long iron, and his second to the par five last to set up his birdie. There were, no doubt, many others that Parry will recall but it is the well executed shots under the most extreme pressure that give the most satisfaction and I would imagine that Parry is still replaying in his mind his second to the thirteenth. He was a deserved champion because he handled the conditions the best and he was the only player to play all four rounds in the sixties. Eighteen birdies and only seven bogies under such conditions was deserving of victory.

Parry has shown himself to be a very good links player. His performance to so nearly win the British Open at Carnoustie in 1999, when he led with seven holes to go only to fall victim to a double bogey on the 12th and yet bounce back to finish only a shot out of the playoff that saw Lawrie win, was a fine performance. He has a standard fade built into his game which helps in so much as he knows where it is going most of the time and builds his strategies around it. He seems to have picked up yardage in recent times having finally gone to a metal-headed driver. He was one of the last to do so but that extra length combined with his brilliant short game could well see Parry headed for one of his better years in the US.

He is a tough and feisty competitor who speaks his mind and is a great supporter of golf in this region. He seems to have found the right balance between family and professional golf and now that he seems to be back on track following an ordinary year in the US in 2001 this could well be the start of something. Parry suggested after the win that this was his first victory since 1997 but even though it may have felt like that it has been only two years that being his win in the Ford Open in Adelaide at the end of 1999.

Outside of Parry there were several efforts worthy of mention. For Campbell to bounce back after setbacks on several occasions as he did including that horror double bogey on 17 showed that the furore around his earlier threat to not play the event was long gone from his memory. On several occasions he appeared to be out of contention only to pop up again and in the end he was the man most likely to challenge Parry as they reached the last green. Despite the fact that he does not play the US Tour, like five of his countrymen, he is clearly the best New Zealand golfer at present and has been for two years.

Steve Alker who had such a brilliant season in 1996/97 in Australia, winning twice and so nearly winning a third, appears to have regained that form. He so nearly secured his card for the US Tour at the recent tour school finishing two shots from that goal but now that he has a solid tour to play on in the Buy.Com Tour he is likely to develop even further. His consistency may just be the type of game necessary to secure his card, through the Buy.Com Tour, for the USPGA Tour in 2003. He will never overpower a golf course, Steve Alker, but he will often out think one.

Stephen Leaney, a very talented West Australian, seems to be back on track with his tie for second following a year of distractions including marriage and house buying. He is a multiple winner in Australia and Europe where he has twice won the Dutch Open and looks, following his good performance at the Australian Open where he recovered from a horrible start to finish 9th, and now this to be back on track.

Adam Groom the twenty three year old from NSW probably cemented a permanent place on the Australian Amateur team, at least until he turns pro, with his 5th after a last round of 67 the best of the day along with Scott Hend. He has represented Australia last year in New Zealand where he played well in the Southern Cross Cup filling in for Andrew Buckle but he looks a player who belongs in professional ranks.

And we couldn’t finish the summary of notable performances without a mention of 13 year old Jae An. Korean born and a three year resident of New Zealand he is a member of the highly successful Rotorua Boys High team who seem to be producing potential champions on a regular basis. He eventually faded on the last day with a final 79 but to have made the field was a performance, made the cut event greater and the future looks bright for this intriguing character.

Like so many of his fellow countrymen and women, An is a product of the amazing discipline, work ethic and athleticism that seems typical of Korean golfers. Their success in the world of professional golf has been simply amazing over recent years. Se Ri Pak, Mi Hyun Kim, Grace and Gloria Park and USLPGA Rookie of the year Hee Won Haan are amongst the leaders in ladies golf. Their men have not been quite as dominant but KJ Choi is an emerging player on the US Tour and Charlie Wi led the Asian Tour last year. Jae An may well alter that balance but let’s not forget that is a long way off yet.

In summary a great event but as mentioned earlier the question will be where the event goes from here. It appears very unlikely that New Zealand will see Tiger again as the underwriters appeared to have suffered quite a financial loss. So even the model they had in place to make it work financially appears not to have reached its target. Their foresight and gamble must go rewarded however in that the New Zealand Open must not return to the level it was at previously. It is a time-honoured event and the task for those in control of New Zealand golf will be to ensure that all the good work that has been done will be built upon.

Finally congratulations to Tiger Woods. It would be easy to say that he was paid a lot of money to be there and consequently wasn’t doing any favours but the money is of little consequence to Tiger. That he made himself available to New Zealand golf for the week is a reflection on the responsibility he sees as the greatest player on the planet at present. To he, Steve Williams and those who put their collective necks on the line well done. It is now up to others to build on the platforms you have created.