Tyler Hodge claims New Zealand PGA Championship
Tyler Hodge – with the spoils of victory – image Australian Golf Media
The New Zealand PGA Championship has been won by 30-year-old New Zealander, Tyler Hodge, who won his first Australasian Tour event with a one-shot victory over fellow New Zealander Kerry Mountcastle and Queenslander Tim Hart at the Bridge Pa Golf Club in Hastings today.
With four missed cuts in his last five starts before arriving in Hastings, Hodge was struggling with his game and perhaps his future but an opening nine of 32 in today’s final round after beginning the day just one off the pace of Cameron Harlock had him clear in the lead and although he faltered with two bogeys over the closing nine he had done enough to hold off the strong finishes of Mountcastle and Hart.
Queenslander Anthony Quayle improved his standing on the Order of Merit to 6th place with his share of 4th place this week with former PGA Tour New Zealander Tim Wilkinson and Queenslander Shae Wools Cobb.
Quayle has kept alive his chances of securing one of the three DP World Tour cards for next season, a win and a top ten placing in the two remaining events likely good enough to earn his way to the DP World Tour for the first occasion.
For Hodge, who turned professional at the relatively late age of 28 and actually gave the idea of playing professionally away for a year or two, he led by four after a birdie at the 10th before dropping shots but hanging on to win.
