Hendry ends NZ’S barren run in Open
Aucklander Michael Hendry held his nerve to win the $1 million New Zealand Open at Arrowtown’s Millbrook course yesterday.
The 37-year-old snapped a 14-year drought by becoming the first Kiwi to win the tournament since Dunedin’s Mahal Pearce.
In a thrilling finish on the 153m par-three 18th hole, Hendry triumphed in a threeway playoff with fellow Kiwi Ben Campbell and Australian Brad Kennedy.
Both Kennedy and Campbell came unstuck after they found the drink with their tee shots, while Hendry found the green and ensured his name will be etched on the Brodie Breeze Trophy after rolling in a par.
‘‘I’m extremely happy. This is the one I wanted most of any trophy and I’ve got it now,’’ Hendry said.
‘‘To me, it’s just very special to win the tournament and to win the trophy. Whether or not it hasn’t been won by a Kiwi for a long time doesn’t really worry me.
‘‘I’m dead keen to win the trophy hands down and obviously the New Zealand golfing public and golf fans around New Zealand are obviously going to be pretty chuffed a Kiwi has finally won it.’’
Moments before Hendry won it, Campbell came close to chipping in his third shot from the edge of the green to force a second playoff hole, but it was not to be.
All three players finished the fourth round at 19-under the card (266), with Campbell and Kennedy – playing in the group behind Hendry – nailing clutch birdies on the 17th hole to draw even with Hendry.
While Hendry sealed the tournament with a solid final round, he believes it was a couple of shots during his third round on Saturday where the trophy was won.
He holed stunning eagles on the 16th and 17th holes to finish four-under 67 in the third round, with one coming via a sweet putt on the 16th, before a monster second shot on the 525m par-five 17th came close to dropping in for a rare albatross.
‘‘They won me the tournament, to be honest. It gave me the opportunity to execute the game plan that I wanted to.
‘‘Right there and then was the winning of the golf tournament,’’ Hendry said.
The 172nd-ranked player in the world went into the final round three shots behind Campbell and in a share of third place.
In drizzly and cool conditions, he only managed two birdies on the day but didn’t drop a shot on his way around the par-71 course. His final round 69 followed two rounds of 65 to start the tournament.
Top-ranked Kiwi Ryan Fox, who flirted with the cut for much of the second round, finished strongly to nab a share of sixth at 16-under-par.