16 Mar 2009

Prugh wins NZ Open

6:13 am on 16 March 2009

The American golfer Alex Prugh proved unstoppable in the final round of the New Zealand Open at The Hills course near Queenstown, firing two eagles and five birdies for the day's best round of eight-under par 64.

That superb round backed up three earlier sub-par scores of 65, 71 and 69 for a 19-under total of 269 gave Prugh victory by three shots from countryman Martin Piller with Jim Herman, two shots back, completing an American trifecta.

New Zealand's Josh Geary was one of six players tied for fourth on 12-under 276 and the 150 thousand dollars he earned from his tied second finish in the New Zealand PGA Championship at Clearwater last week and at the Hills has given him status on the United States Nationwide Tour.

Prugh, who made 14 cuts from 20 starts in his rookie season on last year's Nationwide Tour, is the first American winner of the New Zealand Open since Corey Pavin at Russley in 1985.