David McKenzie was never in front – until it mattered most.
McKenzie, one of the most consistent golfers of his generation, stepped up at crunch time to birdie the final hole to win the New South Wales Senior Open championship in Albury on the weekend.
The Victorian carded a superb closing five-under-par 67 at Thurgoona Country Club to post 12 under, one clear of long-time leader Mat Goggin, who faltered with a pair of bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes.
Goggin put the disappointment of those errors behind him to notch his own closing birdie, which meant that McKenzie’s breathtaking approach to the final green proved the difference.
“At the time, you’re never really sure what’s going on around you, so in the end, even when I hit it into about a foot and a half, it still seemed a bit far away for my liking,” he joked of his near-perfect 9-iron from 136m.
“When I hit it, I thought it was left maybe 6-8 feet, but when everyone starts clapping and then starts roaring a bit, you know it’s within a few feet.
“It was closer than I thought actually – and I was really glad I didn’t have to make a 4-5 footer to win.
“They’re hard to win. I’ve had a lot of chances a lot of times and haven’t got it done. And the times I have won, I’ve won well and going away so it was good to get one in a close (finish).
“I’ve still got it sometimes – every now and again,” he joked.
“But it’s just a matter of making the putts when you need them. I made a few today and they were at the right times as it turned out.”
McKenzie jumped into calculations when he buried an eagle putt on the seventh hole, then made important birdies on 11 and 13 to pull level with Goggin who had started the day two clear of the Victorian.
But McKenzie appeared to have blown his chance when he couldn’t get up and down for par on the tough par-3 16th hole.
Goggin was surprised minutes later when his tee shot on that same hole came up short of the elevated green and trickled back towards the tee. His slightly thin chip shot eventually resulted in his own bogey.
But a missed par putt from 1m after a great bunker shot on the 17th proved the decisive moment.
“It was solid enough, just frustrating,” the Tasmanian lamented after a series of lost opportunities, particularly mid-round when some short-range chip shots didn’t have his customary polish.
“Saturday (65) was good, but I’ve just got to build on it because I haven’t been playing as much as I’d like and I’ve just got to take the positives… before the (upcoming) Champions Tour (Q-School).
“But that’s great for Macca… he’s been a good player for a long time.”
It will make for an interesting conversation later tonight when the pair, who are rooming together this week, discuss the afternoon over a red wine.
“It’s got to be the good stuff now!” Goggin chipped McKenzie as he fulfilled his post-round commitments.
Scott Barr and Peter Lonard shared third another shot back with both having watched multiple chances slide narrowly past the cup on several holes.
“I missed a couple of short ones and I just haven’t really got it going with the putter all week, so it’s not a bad result, I suppose,” said Barr, who’s also got the Champions Tour in his sights.
“I think if I keep giving myself those chances, it doesn’t seem too far away.”
Legendary Peter Senior loomed before lightning mid-round stopped play for 55 minutes, but he couldn’t maintain that momentum and finished at seven under in a share of fifth.
The closing day’s best round belonged to the mercurial Andre Stolz, who tore up the front nine in just 30 strokes but double-bogeyed the 10th immediately after the lightning break.
He bounced back with an eagle on the 14th and his closing 66 left him outright ninth at 5 under.
Low amateur for the week was New South Welshman James Swanson, whose rounds of 70-75-74 left him at three over.