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Round 4 Updates - Sunday, 31 January 2010
5.45pm Gates takes Open Championship
Robert Gates made a 1m clutch putt for par on the final hole to claim the Michael Hill New Zealand Open Championship at The Hills.
Gates finished on 14-under par to be one shot ahead of Australia's Andrew Dodt, who made a brilliant birdie on the final hole but had to be conent witn runner-up on 13-under.
American Jamie Lovemark was third on 12-under, while Aussie Michael Curtain made an excellent up-and-down on the 18th from the bunker to finish along in fourth place on 11-under, a shot ahead of compatriot Mark Hensby in fifth.
5.20pm Gates sneaks open
The 17th hole was full of drama for the leaders with both Robert Gates and Andrew Dodt driving into the wastelands. Dodt never recovered, dropping back to 12-under with a double bogey, while Gates recovered well for his par to remain two shots clear with one hole remaining.
Australian Michael Curtin managed a 6m curving putt for eagle at the same hole to jump to 11-under to be one shot behind second currenlty held by Dodt and Jamie Lovemark.
5.15pm Kiwis fail to fly
The New Zealand challenge fell away on the final afternoon today.Best of the New Zealanders is Josh Geary, who shot a two-under par 70 today to finish on seven-under for the tournament in a share of 9th place, following his fourth place finish last year.
However Geary had worked himself into contention with four straight birdies late in his round to move to 10-under only to be undone with a disastrous triple-bogey eight on the 17th when he drive into the water.
Phil Tataurangi managed a two-over 74 today to finish on six-under par and a share of 16th place, with his round rail-roaded with three bogeys in four holes late in his round following birdies at the 9th and 11th holes.
Brad Iles shot a one-over 73 today to finish one shot back on five-under in a share of 19th place. Like Tataurangai, he slipped late in his round with bogeys at the Party Hole – the 15th – and the tough final hole proving costly.
David Smail, in contention on the first three days, struggled today to slip to a six-over 78 to finish on even-par and a share of 47th place. He had a most un-Smail like final round with five bogeys in six holes midround, before he mixed birdies at the 15th and 17th with a double bogey at the tricky par-3 16th.
Gareth Paddison also had his troubles today with a five-over 77 dropping him to one-over for the championship and a tie for 54th place.
5pm - It's all tied up
After holding a six-shot lead at one time during the final round, a double-bogey at the 16th has seen overnight leader Robert Gates drop back to a share of the lead with Australian Andrew Dodt with two holes to play.
Earlier Gates had bogeys at the 9th and 11th holes before putting his tee shot in the creek alongside the green on the tricky par-3 16th and dropped two shots to fall back to 14-under par.
Meanwhile Dodt responded with back-to-back birdies at the 12th and 13th holes to jump to 14-under. He was lucky with a kind bounce on the 16th which saw his ball jump the creek and he managed to get up and down for a par.
The mover is American Jamie Lovemark who is four-under today approaching the final hole to be alone in third place on 12-under.
4pm - Gates two in front
Despite two bogeys in the last three holes, American Robert Gates holds on to a three shot lead with six holes to play in the final round of the Michael Hill New Zealand Open in Queenstown.
Gates is all square for the day and 16 under for the tournament having had three birdies and three bogeys during this final round. The closest challenger, Australian Andrew Dodt, has missed several makeable putts in his attempt to close the gap.
Gates, on the other hand, was in solid putting touch, having four consecutive one-putt greens during his first nine holes.
Josh Geary and Phil Tataurangi are the leading New Zealanders at seven under and in a tie for ninth, Geary in the clubhouse with a two under 70 and Tataurangi one over through 14.
Geary was racing up the leaderboard with four consecutive birdies, but a disastrous triple birdie eight on the par five 17th stopped his advance. After finding the hazard off the tee, followed by a “comedy of bad lies”, the New Zealander dropped from fourth to 10th.
2pm Gates makes birdies
American Robert Gates, with two bridies in his first three holes, has increased his lead by one shot after four holes in the final round of the Michael Hill New Zealand Open in Queenstown.
Gates birdied the first and third holes, but dropped a shot a the Par 3 235m fourth hole. It did not affect his lead as closest challenger Australian Andrew Dodt also bogeyed the hole, following a birdie at the first.
Gates, at 17 under, is four clear of Dodt with Victorian Michael Curtain a shot further back. He is one under for the day.
The day’s big movers are Americans Jim Carter, who is five under through 16, and Casey Wittenberg, three under through 11, leaving them tied for seventh, nine shots behind Gates.
Josh Geary, Bradley Iles and Phil Tataurangi are the leading New Zealanders, all at seven under and in a tie for 11th. Geary has had two birides at the first and 13th, Iles has had two birdies (both on par 3s) and a bogey through 11 holes while Tataurangi has dropped one shot after seven with a bogey on six.
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