The 23-year-old Christchurch player finished three shots ahead of Otago team captain Brandon Hodgson, who finished with a 4-under-par 67 after a disappointing second round. Hodgson was one shot ahead of Kazuma Kobori (Rangiora), while Cameron Beel (Arrowtown) and Mathew Tautari (Invercargill) were tied for fourth at a 5-over-par 218 for the three rounds.
Canterbury was also to the fore in the women’s event, Russley’s Maddie May finishing with a 2-under 72 to win by four shots from Sumin Kang (Wakatipu Junior).
Otago club golf director Shelley Duncan was disappointed with the women’s event, which attracted a meagre five entries — four from Otago and one from Canterbury.
Queenstown’s Simon Boland, who plays for the Winton Club, took the honours in the masters over-40 event by one shot from Cris Idour (St Clair). Taieri’s Mark Andrews finished third a further stroke back.
Kazuma Kobori kept the Canterbury flag flying when he won the $1250 travel voucher for the best nine-hole aggregate in the Canterbury, Southland and Otago strokeplay championships.
Hodgson came in second, winning a $750 travel voucher, while Russley’s Hayato Miya was the top under-19 player, winning a $625 voucher.
Queenstown’s Sumin Kang took the women’s $625 voucher from Danielle Bailey (Wakatipu Junior).
In the men’s championship, McLean got off to a flyer, finishing 5-under-par on 66 for a three-shot lead on Hodgson.
Starting at the 10th hole, McLean started with three threes and birdied 16 and 17 to turn 3-under.Coming home, he birdied the first, the third and the eighth to take the first-round lead.
In sharp contrast, Hodgson had a bizarre round, turning 4-over after carding two bogeys and a double-bogey seven on the par-5 Tipperary hole.
But he upped his game by birdieing the first four holes on the front nine to get back to square, and finished 2-under after birdies on the final two holes.
On Saturday afternoon McLean carded a 68 while Hodgson (74), Kobori (71) and Turner (72) slipped down the leaderboard.
The big movers in the second round were Southlander Matt Tautari with 66 and 2018 Otago Eagles junior golfer of the year Parker Alusi (St Clair) with 67. They remained eight shots back from McLean with one round to play. Hodgson came home strongly with 67 to claim second place in the event.
