Australian dominance of Open continues
Let’s just rename
Open.
Queenslander Brad Kennedy won the New Zealand Open at Arrowtown’s Millbrook Resort yesterday to become the eighth Aussie winner in the past nine tournaments.
Kennedy, who started the run by winning in Christchurch in 2011, finished 21-under-par, two shots clear of second-placed Lucas Herbert (Aus) to snag his first win since he won on the Japan Tour in 2018.
Aucklander Michael Hendry and Masterton’s Harry Bateman were the best performing Kiwis, finishing six shots back in a share of fifth place.
Kennedy banked $240,000 after claiming the Brodie Breeze Trophy for a second time, a win set up by his it the Australian scorching final-round eight-under 63.
Two shots behind Herbert and South Korean teenager Joohyung Kim heading into the day, Kennedy, 45, saved his best round for last.
Leading scores after the final round of the New Zealand Open:
■ 264: Brad Kennedy (AUS)
■ 266: Lucas Herbert (AUS)
■ 268: Nick Flanagan (AUS)
■ 269: Joohyung Kim (KOR)
■ 270: Michael Hendry (NZ), Harry Bateman (NZ)
His blemish-free card backed up his opening three rounds of 66 (The Hills) and 69 and 66 at Millbrook, leaving him with a final score of 264.
He blew three shots clear after holing a tricky right-to-left putt on the 387m par-four 14th. Meanwhile, a hole back, Herbert found the water hazard off the tee on the par-three 13th and made double bogey.
It had all been going so well for Herbert up until that point. He’d shaken off Kim, was four-under through his round, and was in front on his own.
But the 24-year-old wasn’t done yet, storming back with birdies on 15, 16 and 17 to put the heat back on Kennedy, who would have felt the pinch further had Herbert not barely missed a lengthy eagle putt on the 17th.
However, Kennedy kept his head to save par on 18, before Herbert failed to bag the birdie he needed to force a playoff, when he fluffed his tee-shot on
18 and found the drink.
As was the case in the past couple of days, Hendry was left to rue his putting, as his challenge for a second title in four years effectively ended when he bogeyed 13.
‘‘The whole week the putter really didn’t gel with me. I thought to myself, ‘at least give them a chance to go in by getting them to the hole’. I had a lot of good shots and they just didn’t fall my way this week,’’ he said.
South Korean 17-year-old Kim had at least a share of the lead at the end of each of the first three days but could not repeat 2019 winner Zach Murray’s wire-to-wire win.
Having only made three bogeys through his first three rounds, the
17-year-old made four yesterday, including back-to-back on holes five and six, as he finished in a share of fourth, ensuring the wait for a maiden Asian winner goes on.