Kiwi stars among those chasing record-equalling Korean
Former champion Michael Hendry and in-form Josh Geary are leading the ‘Kiwi Challenge’ at the New Zealand Open, while a course record-equalling Korean heads the leader board after two rounds at Millbrook Resort.
Guntaek Koh, a winner of four tournaments in Asia in the past two years, surged to top spot on Friday afternoon with a brilliant 10-under-par 61, matching the course record on the Remarkables layout, one of two courses in use over the first 36 holes.
After starting with a 64 on the Coronet course on Thursday morning, Koh sits at 17-under, three shots clear of Australia’s James Marchesani (63-65).
The tournament continues today, Saturday, 1 March.
China’s Bobby Bai (65-64) is third on 13-under, while Hendry and Geary sit in equal seventh, seven shots behind at the halfway mark of a championship that 2017 winner Hendry describes as his “fifth major”.
Hendry has had two rounds of 5-under-par 66 – one on Thursday when he was happy with his ball-striking and then again today when his short game was the key to staying in touch with the lead.
“I got off to a slow start and caught fire through the middle of the round,” Hendry said yesterday.
“I holed a shot, and a chip. It fell into place more by good luck than good management to tell the truth.
“Yesterday’s round was solid tee to green. It was quite clinical, but I didn’t quite get it done on the greens. Today was the opposite. I definitely putted better but I hit it worse.
“I am going to need to play better over the weekend than I did today.”
As the last New Zealander to win his national open, Hendry is the perfect man to offer a reason why the home players have been experiencing a title drought in Queenstown.
“After winning a major, this is my next tournament that I want to win,” the 45-year-old said. “All the Kiwis come into this week feeling that way and that is potentially why we haven’t had a winner in a while, because we want it more than the other guys."
“They can cruise around doing their thing while we are fighting for every little bit to try and win it.”
Like his regular roommate, Geary has also had two 66s to start the week, hitting a purple patch on the back-nine on Friday afternoon when he grabbed four consecutive birdies.
“I had a good hot streak there for seven or eight holes,” the Vic Open champion from a fortnight ago said. “I knew I needed to stay in touch somewhat and what I was doing at even-par or 1-under wasn't going to cut it. I’m happy with how it's turned out. It could have been a little worse.”
The next best Kiwi after 36 holes is Daniel Hillier (68-65), who is 9-under, while hometown favourite Ben Campbell (67-67) is one shot further back.
Koh’s 61 featured a hole-out for eagle on the 398-metre par-4 ninth, nine birdies and a solitary bogey.
“My iron play worked really well today and helped me to attack the greens,” Koh said. “I’ve been working hard on my game and this week it’s paid off.”
Marchesani was in cruise control as he made his way to 16-under-par after 35 holes, only to slip up with a double-bogey six on his closing hole on the Remarkables course, one of two in use over the 36 holes.
The Victorian, who has come close before to winning on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia but has had to settle for four top-three placings, had just four pars in his second round to sit alongside an eagle, eight birdies and two bogeys.
“The game’s felt close,” Marchesani said. “I probably haven't driven it as well as I would've liked the last couple of months. I was able to get in here earlier than I was meant to and do a bit of work with the Callaway boys on Monday.
“I found a little bit with the driver, which has been nice.
“The putting's been really good the last six months or so. I knew if I could get a lot of looks, the hole's going to start looking pretty big, which it has.”
Among those who missed the halfway cut, which came at 5-under-par, were last week’s Webex Players Series Sydney winner Nick Voke (73-66), defending champion Takahiro Hataji (69-73), and Kiwi Danny Lee (75-69) in his first New Zealand Open as a professional.
Eight-time PGA TOUR Champions winner Steven Alker (70-67) birdied his last three holes to make it to the weekend play by a shot.
Round 3 of the 104th New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport tees off this morning at Millbrook Resort.
