Golf: Both foursomes titles decided after playoffs

Mark Andrews drives from the 18th tee during the first round of the Otago foursomes championships...
Mark Andrews drives from the 18th tee during the first round of the Otago foursomes championships at Chisholm Park in Dunedin yesterday. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
The men's and women's Otago foursomes championships both finished tied after 36 holes yesterday and so were decided by sudden-death playoffs.

In the men's event, Michael Minty and Philip Bungard finished 1-over for the day on 143 to tie with Brandon Hodgson and Daniel Elder.

Both teams drove on to the 18th green in the playoff with Bungard and Minty making a birdie three to clinch the title.

Hodgson left his lag putt short of the hole and the pair made a par four.

In the women's event, Sally Shaw and Tracy Storer looked set to be clear winners, holding a five-shot lead at lunch.

However, Susan Greig and Abigail Crawford scored an impressive 76 in the afternoon to match the leaders.

In the playoff, both teams hit the fairway leaving Greig and Storer to hit impressive approaches.

Shaw made the 4m birdie putt to take the honours.

The event attracted a large field which begs the question as to why the event was in abeyance for more than a decade until last year.

In the men's event, Hodgson and Elder held the lead at the halfway stage but Minty and Bungard finished strongly to force the playoff.

Bungard chipped in for a birdie two on the 10th but it was an impressive finish with three birdies on the last four holes.

Minty holed a 10m putt on the 15th green for a birdie and then drove on to the par-4 16th to set up the second birdie.

It was Bungard's turn to sink a long putt on the 17th to finish 1-under for the afternoon.

 

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