Mountcastle’s eagle highlights sizzling 62

KERRY Mountcastle emulated the country’s biggest golfing name, Sir Bob Charles, in carding a nineunder-par 62 at Paraparaumu Beach, as the Masterton electrician seized control of the New Zealand Strokeplay Championship.

Mountcastle had seven birdies and a chip-in eagle on the par-four sixth in his remarkable round yesterday, which took him to 13-under for the rain-shortened tournament, with today’s final round remaining.

The engraver might as well start early on the men’s trophy, with Mountcastle sitting seven shots clear of Johnny Tynan (Titirangi) and Sam Nichols (Palmerston North).

Mountcastle joined an illustrious group to have shot 62 at the hallowed links, headed by Charles, who also learned his craft at Masterton Golf Club. Others included Paul Gow, Pat Thompson, Brad Iles and Maurice Bembridge.

Mountcastle’s score won’t go down as a course record, as the first two rounds were preferred lies after day one was washed out by heavy downpours on Thursday.

But it was a round worth celebrating for one of the country’s leading amateurs, who was second-best New Zealander behind Daniel Hillier at the AsiaPacific Amateur Championship last year.

He teed off on the 10th and made a flyer with birdies on 11, 12 and 13. Mountcastle was fourunder at the turn, then finished with a rush, starting with his eagle.

‘‘I laid up for probably the first time ever on the hole and left myself a full wedge into the back pin and managed to spin it in there,’’ he said.

‘‘I’ve played well most of the times I have been here, so knowing the course well certainly helped.’’

Tynan shot up the leaderboard with a 65, while Nichols produced back-to-back 68s.

Overnight co-leaders Hiroki Miya (Russley) and Fraser MacLachlan (Millbrook) both shot 72 and sit nine shots off the pace.