Harry Bateman racked up his maiden victory on New Zealand’s Charles Tour with a runaway eight-shot win in the Harewood Open in Christchurch.
Chantelle Cassidy had an equally stress-free final day in the women’s division of the same tournament to win her third Harewood Open title by an impressive seven shots.
Bateman has three previous runner-up finishes on the Charles Tour, sponsored by Jennian Homes, but with rounds of 69, 65, 70 and 69 in the Harewood Open, he wasn’t going to allow this victory to slip away in the wet conditions.
His joy was clear after lifting the John Jones Steel Harewood Open trophy with family and friends by his side.
“It feels awesome, I’m really rapt after three second place finishes so it’s nice to get the monkey off the back,” Bateman said.
“I feel like I have been good enough to win one of these for at least two years now but it just hasn’t happened, so to finally get it done and with the lead I had was great.”
As victory became ever clearer in the final round, Bateman’s game started to lift with a chip in birdie of the 12th hole sparking his back nine where he then birdied the 13th and 16th to enjoy his walk home.
In second equal was the impressive leading amateur James Anstiss and Victor Janin who both carded the lowest round of the day with scores of 68.
Anstiss, who made an eagle and four birdies on the final day, had returned to New Zealand mainly for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship last month.
The local engravers now have a very good relationship with Chantelle Cassidy after she recorded her third Harewood Open title with a composed final round of one-under, 71.
It was also her fifth victory on the Charles Tour, which comprises three Harewood Opens, a Muriwai Open in Auckland and a Lawnmaster Classic in Palmerston North.
Said Cassidy: “It feels really awesome to get back into the zone and claim another Harewood Open after coming second last year.''
The idea of turning professional is becoming more of a reality with an exciting end to the year ahead.
“I’ve got Q (qualifying)-school for the European Tour, so I fly out in early December to Morocco.
“I think it’s time to hop out of amateur golf and see what’s out there. I’m looking forward to the next step in golf and to see if I can crack it and see what happens from there.”
Canterbury’s Amelia Garvey finished in a comfortable second place, but was unable to make a dent in Cassidy’s lead.

Harewood Open scores

Jennian Homes Charles Tour – John Jones Steel Harewood Open
October 5-8, 2017

Men
Par 72
273 Harry Bateman (Muriwai) 69 65 70 69
281 Victor Janin (Rotorua) 70 72 71 68, James Anstiss (Wakatipu Junior) 69 73 71 68
283 David Smail (PGA New Zealand) 71 69 70 73
284 Gareth Paddison (PGA New Zealand) 70 69 73 72
285 Matthew McLean (Harewood) 73 72 70 70, Richard Lee (PGA New Zealand) 69 71 74 71
287 Mark Brown (PGA New Zealand) 68 74 71 74
288 Daniel Hillier (Manor Park) 71 73 73 71, Ryan Chisnall (Greenacres) 75 70 72 71, Luke Toomey (PGA New Zealand) 73 71 71 73, Brad Shilton (Muriwai) 70 69 74 75
289 Luke Brown (Muriwai) 71 72 75 71
290 Josh Munn (P) 75 72 72 71, Mark Hutson (Muriwai) 74 69 75 72
291 Nick Coxon (P) 70 74 75 72, Kieran Muir (Omokoroa) 70 74 73 74, Hayden Beard (Mt Maunganui) 75 67 71 78
292 Douglas Holloway (PGA New Zealand) 73 79 67 73, Nick Loach (PGA New Zealand) 74 72 71 75
293 Lachie McDonald (Marton) 72 72 73 76
294 Scott Hellier (Gore) 75 72 72 75, Chang Gi Lee (Pupuke) 71 72 73 78
295 Mahal Pearce (P) 74 74 75 72
296 Dongwoo Kang (PGA New Zealand) 72 73 77 74
297 Pieter Zwart (PGA New Zealand) 79 70 76 72
298 Cameron Jones (PGA New Zealand) 76 76 70 76, Troy Ropiha (PGA New Zealand) 72 75 74 77
299 Brenden Stuart (PGA New Zealand) 74 76 76 73, David Klein (Te Anau) 77 71 78 73, Sam Purdon (Templeton) 79 72 74 74, Mason Lee (Royal Auckland and Grange) 72 72 78 77
300 Nic Kay (Coringa Inc.) 74 70 81 75, David Riordan (Nelson Inc.) 73 73 79 75, Craig Palmer (PGA New Zealand) 72 73 75 80
301 Martin Pettigrew (PGA New Zealand) 78 77 74 72, Jee Hwan (Davis) Oh (Gulf Harbour Country Club) 76 76 75 74, George Wardell (Tauranga) 76 71 72 82
302 Carl Brooking (PGA New Zealand) 74 75 77 76, Sung Jin Yeo (North Shore) 70 75 77 80
303 Kerry Mountcastle (Masterton) 79 74 77 73
304 Jonti Philipson (Marlborough) 77 76 76 75, Oscar Cadenhead (Clearwater) 74 74 76 80
305 Reid Hilton (Russley) 74 77 76 78
306 Jared Edwards (Royal Auckland and Grange) 76 76 81 73, Shaun Hewitt (PGA New Zealand) 72 78 78 78
307 Craig Mitchell (PGA New Zealand) 81 74 77 75, Charlie Smail (Walton) 76 74 78 79
308 Tom Wilson (Templeton) 75 80 80 73, John Bae (PGA New Zealand) 76 79 77 76
309 Daniel Graham (PGA New Zealand) 77 77 78 77, Jeremy Hall (Green Acres Country Club) 75 73 82 79
310 Dean Sipson (Mt Maunganui) 78 74 80 78, Nick Ludbrook (Greenacres) 72 76 81 81
236 Jeremy Goodman (Pegasus) 74 81 81
311 Micah Dickinson (PGA New Zealand) 72 80 77 82, Daniel Laughton (Templeton) 78 76 72 85
312 Andrew Dufton (Russley) 73 77 77 85
314 James Oh (Waimairi Beach) 80 73 80 81

Women
Par 72
285 Chantelle Cassidy (Riverside) 70 70 74 71
292 Amelia Garvey (Kaiapoi) 74 69 77 72
301 Rose Zheng (Pakuranga) 75 75 76 75
305 Subin Wui (Pupuke) 74 78 78 75
315 Fuuka Higashi (Rangiora) 84 76 77 78, Hillary O'Connor (Pegasus) 76 81 77 81
316 Yoonjeong Huh (Gulf Harbour Country Club) 81 81 79 75
317 Jessica Huang (Pakuranga) 76 77 82 82
318 Grace Jung (Aviation Country Club of NZ) 79 80 77 82
327 Michelle Lee (Takapuna-Thomas Park) 79 82 83 83
329 Rachel Eder (Clearwater) 82 81 85 81
333 Madeleine May (Russley) 84 77 87 85