Jim Lapsley led from start to finish to win the New Zealand senior PGA title in Taupo on Saturday.
The Queenstown golfer carded his best score of the three-round tournament, a 3-under-par 69, to head a field stacked with leading Australian senior players.
Lapsley finished two shots clear of playing partner David Merriman, with the Australian also scoring 69 in his final round.
Lapsley's wire-to-wire victory at the Wairakei course could not have come at a better time.
He is in Christchurch today, playing in the New Zealand Open qualifier at the Shirley course in a bid to qualify for the tournament at The Hills later this week.
Lapsley got a sponsor's invite to the 2007 Open but will need to be one of the top four finishers at the qualifier to get back to the event.
He was at his efficient best on Saturday as he kept his cool, kept the lead and finished at 5-under for the tournament.
He started with a birdie on the first hole but gave it back on the long par-3 second.
Another birdie-bogey on four and five had him out in par 36, but he turned up the heat coming home with more birdies on 11, 13, 14 and 16 before a final-hole bogey once the title was in the bag.
With his early rounds of back-to-back 71s he was never headed over the three days.
Merriman had 33 on the back nine but had left himself too much work to do to catch Lapsley.
Australian Allan Cooper added a round of 70 to his previous 72 and 76 to claim third place.
New Zealanders Stuart Reese (72, 72, 75) and Simon Owen (74, 73, 72) shared fourth place, with Australians David Good (77, 71, 73) and Brian Jones (72, 74, 75) next best.
