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Brad Wins his first event as a professional. 01/10/2007
What a week for Ily!!!!!!!!!!
Just getting back from Taiwan to play in the Taranaki open was a mission. Brad flew out of Taipei on Monday afternoon heading to Tauranga via Singapore and Auckland to pick up his new clubs and some new gear.
Ready to board the plane in Singapore to fly to Auckland late Monday night Brad was told along with other passengers that the plane had been delayed and would fly in approximately an hour possibly up to 2 or 3 hours due to an engineering fault and it was suggested that head back to the Star Alliance lounge and wait.
1 hour went past and Brad went to the counter to get an update, only to be told, not that the plane was now boarding but it had already left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So another night at another airport sleeping in airline lounge, not happy would be the best sum up of Brad Skype call to tell me of the situation.
Brad arrived in Auckland late Tuesday night and Peter Iles, Brad’s father was there to pick him up and drove back to Tauranga.
After 3 hours sleep back in Tauranga it was wake up, pack the bags and catch another plane back to Auckland and down to New Plymouth for the Pro Am that started at 11am on Wednesday morning.
So golf in Taranaki!!
Brad began the tournament thinking he was back in Taiwan with wind like only a week ago at the Taiwan Masters blowing and gusting like a full on Wellington Northerly plus some. Shooting a 2 over 74 and lying in 2nd place out right it was a good start to the week.
Friday with six birdies and two bogeys a 68 was to be the equal best round for the tournament and lead by three shots going into the weekend.
Saturday not a lot was happening apart from a couple of bogeys until the 11th hole where Brad’s second shot decided to go out of bounds and at that time the lead was lost to Doug Holloway who had been quietly working away at the lead.
A triple bogey on 11 was followed by what was an amazing display of golf with Brad firing 5 straight birdies with a par on 17 and another birdie to end the round with a 1 under par 71.
Sunday was always expected to be affected by wind and rain but it was a shock to most of the players playing in the last few groups when the announcement came on the 7th hole that play had been abandoned due to the wind and it was all over.
Brad won his first event as a professional 4 shots ahead last year’s winner and good mate Mark Brown.
Brad has this week off in Wellington for a little tweaking with Mal before flying to India for the Indian Open next week and then off to the 1st stage of qualifying for the US PGA Tour.
