Thompson claims big pay day
NICHOLAS Thompson claimed the biggest pay day of his professional golf career today, defeating David Morland IV on the first hole of a sudden-death play-off to win the New Zealand PGA Championship. Each player carded a four-under-par 68 in the final round to be tied at 280, eight-under-par, after 72 holes at Clearwater Golf Course.
Thompson, who had won just $US29,508 ($37,255) in seven previous starts on the US Nationwide Tour, then made par on the first play-off hole while his Canadian rival made bogey from a greenside bunker to gift the $US600,000 co-sanctioned tournament to the American.
James Nitties was the best-placed Australian, in fifth on 282 after a closing 71, one stroke behind Americans Michael Letzig and Lee Williamson.
“I just played the play-off hole like any other hole,” Thompson said after claiming the winner’s cheque for $US109,0000.
“All day I just tried to make shot shots and solid swings.
“I swung it good all day, especially on the last nine, and I had chances all day.”
Thompson and Morland started the day tied for third place at four-under par, two strokes behind Ryan Howison from the US.
Letzig took the early clubhouse lead at seven under and Williamson then went to the top of the leaderboard at eight under with a birdie on the 15th.
Williamson was still leading the tournament at the 17th, with Morland and Howison one stroke behind at seven under, but the Americans came undone.
Morland birdied the hole to move to eight under, while Williamson bogeyed to fall back to seven under, and Howison, who had led the tournament after the first and third rounds, bogeyed to drop to six under.
Morland may have thought he had won the title after making par at the last hole as Thompson, playing in the final group on the course, was two shots behind as he tee off on the 17th hole.
But Thompson made birdie on the 17th and then signed for one of only four final-round birdies at the 18th to force the play-off.
