Anstiss all but achieves first win on tour
QUEENSTOWN golfer James Anstiss has come oh so close to his first win on the Australasian Tour.
Anstiss (25) was leading going into the final round of the Victorian PGA Championships at the Moonah Links course yesterday.
But he ended up one shot short, finishing at 19under tied for second behind Chris Woods.
Anstiss had shot out to a threeshot lead at the start of the round after birdies at the third and fourth holes but he could not stop charging Queenslander Woods, who made a clutch putt on 17 and then nailed a crucial putt at the last to win by one shot.
Anstiss said he just never got any fire into his game.
“I just never really got any momentum going,” Anstiss said.
“Obviously I made a few birdies early and was going nicely.
‘‘I hit the flag on two and it ricocheted and came back and I ended up making par but I was 2under through four and just chipping away.
“Really never got the putter warmed up, missed a couple of short opportunities on the front. Didn’t hole enough in that six to 10 foot [1.8m to 3m] range today.
“Obviously, you’re trying to make some birdies but at the same time it’s so easy to make a mistake and make a bogey that you are playing for par sometimes.
“I saw after the 15th hole that all four of us were at 18under so obviously it was tight and noone could really get away. Then Chris birdied 17 which is just ridiculously good because that was playing very tough and then birdied the last.”
Anstiss had pushed into the lead on Saturday after a stunning round of 63 during which at one stage he played just 21 shots in seven holes as he tore through the field.
Anstiss, shared second with Queenslander Michael Sam, won about $NZ12,000 for his efforts.