Auckland professional Jordan Loof won his first pro tournament after producing a stunning second-round nine under par to win the Recreational Services Masterton-Eketahuna Pro-Am over the weekend.
Loof was third after the first day at Eketahuna on Saturday, scoring four birdies in his four-under-par total of 67. His hot form continued on Sunday at the Masterton Golf Club, scoring seven birdies and an eagle in a stunning bogey-free round of 62 to head off overnight leader Hamish Campbell from Palmerston North by one shot.
Former Masterton players Harry Bateman and Kerry Mountcastle finished tied for seventh at seven under par.
Bateman had a mixed first day, with three birdies and three bogeys in finishing even par, but a stunning seven-under-par 64 on Sunday propelled him up the leaderboard.
Mountcastle also battled at Eketahuna, scoring five birdies and three bogeys for a two under 69. A strong back nine on his home course at Lansdowne featuring four birdies steered him to a five-under 66.
Masterton Golf Club president Andy Pottinger was rapt with how the two-day tournament ran in its 20th year.
“It was good, the courses were presented in beautiful order, and we had a full field of 36 teams of four, so it was a long day, but it went really well,” Pottinger said.
Mountcastle’s top-five finish followed a third place in Thursday’s CER Electrical and Holmes Construction Martinborough Pro-Am.
However, he will be rueing his inconsistency in his seven under par total of 65, which featured six birdies and two eagles, but was punctuated with three bogeys, in finishing one shot behind joint winners Chang Gi Lee and Charlie Small. Bateman was sixth with a five-under 67.
The next big event for the Masterton Golf Club will be the Wairarapa College Centenary tournament to be played in March and featuring golfing great Sir Bob Charles.
