Blyth snatches South Pacific Open in play-off

Queensland’s Adam Blyth won the South Pacific Open Championship at the third hole of a sudden death play-off after a grinding final round where the lead see-sawed throughout.

Starting the final round with a one shot lead, Blyth went head-to-head over the Tina Golf Club course in New Caledonia with playing partner and good mate Jake McLeod.

McLeod grabbed the lead after making birdie at the opening hole against Blyth’s bogey. Blyth bogied again at the second but didn’t lose any ground on his young opponent who also dropped a shot.

The nip-and-tuck battle became the theme of the final round but the par remained all square through 11 holes before Blyth surrendered the lead again with a bogey at the par-4 12^th hole. But McLeod’s stay at the top of the leaderboard was short-lived as he double bogied the par-3 13^th to fall one behind again.

The deficit became two shots through 14 holes when Blyth made his third birdie of the day. But McLeod wasn’t done as he squared the ledger at the par-4 15^th when he holed his second shot for an eagle two. McLeod then dropped a shot at the 16^th but regained it at the next when he rolled in a long putt for birdie at move back to 12 under alongside Blyth, which is where the Queensland duo finished at the end of 72 holes.

It took three extra holes to split them and it was Blyth who prevailed with a par to claim the $21,000 winner’s cheque. The win vaulted him to No.8 on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.

"I started off really poorly with a few bogies. But I stayed patient,” Blyth said. “Instead of trying to get those shots back I just went for the middle of the greens. My veteran status helped me understand that it was going to be a tough day.

FINAL LEADERBOARD

"The pins were tricky and the wind was tough because it was so different to what we are used to here. We very rarely play a westerly on this course and it was swirling a lot, it was very tricky out there.

"I was very nervous, especially because I have been there a few times before and I haven't finished the job. You start to wonder if you are ever going to do it.

"When Jake made that putt on 17 (to tie the lead) I thought here we go again, just give me a chance.

"But I just hung in there, it wasn't spectacular at all. I just made pars and lasted longer than anyone else.

ISPS HANDA PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA ORDER OF MERIT

Blyth paid tribute to his young mate after losing the play-off by carding a triple bogey on the third visit to the par-4 18^th hole.

"The playoff was really tough; I thought we would be there all night to be honest. It was good to do it with my little mate and a Yeppoon boy, I am sure they are celebrating up there," Blyth said.

"You always want to win it; you don't want someone to give it to you. But to be honest it's been hard to get here and I will take it however I can.

"Jakey is young, he is going to win many, many tournaments.

"I have gone through a lull in my career and I needed to make the choice; whether I wanted to make it back to where I was and the hard work that takes. I have rededicated myself, trained really hard and it's paid off this week which is quicker than I expected."

Finishing one shot out of the play-off at 11 under was Canberra’s Matthew Millar, who carded three birdies in his final six holes to shoot a closing three under 68 and finish outright third.

The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia stays in the Pacific with the European Tour co-sanctioned Fiji International to be played at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course October 6 to 9.