Josh Geary has claimed the Millbrook Classic by four shots shooting a course record eight-under 63.
Josh Geary has claimed the Millbrook Classic by four shots shooting a course record eight-under 63.
Geary's blemish-free round saw him record eight birdies, with five of them coming in the first half of the course and credits his fast start for giving him the opportunity to kick on and claim the Sir Bob Charles trophy.
Josh Geary File Credit Golf NZ
"I got off to a fast start today, I think I was three-under through four, but Kerry was four-under through four. We sort of fed off each other a bit and just kept hitting really solid shots, and then all of a sudden I was five-under through nine, so I just had to keep it going for the rest of the round," said Geary.
"I had one really poor shot on the back-nine and had it way up on the bank but managed to make a very good save, which kicked the momentum up. And then I had some quality iron shots on the last three holes and looked up, and I was in front," said Geary.
Geary is now looking forward to taking what he has learnt here at the Millbrook Classic into the New Zealand Open in 2023 and is hoping the confidence from this round will help him come March next year.
"I've never really done that well here at Millbrook at the New Zealand Open in the past, so today was kind of nice to have my best round around here and breakthrough that barrier. I guess it is one of those courses; the more you play it, the more you get used to the subtleties of the greens," said Geary.
Geary's playing partner for the day, Kerry Mountcastle, finished just two shots behind shooting a six-under 65 and was enjoying the battle with Geary as they pushed each other to the finish.
"It was awesome to have Josh and myself going well. We could feed off each other, and I kept following him. Unfortunately, I had a little bit of a whoopsie in the middle of the round, but managed to fight back and hang off his coat-tails and manage to save the round," said Mountcastle.
"It was great to be playing tournament golf and get the blood pumping again. All of us professionals are so thankful to the team who have put on the Millbrook Classic. This has given me the opportunity to be a bit more comfortable when I head to the UK for the Clutch Pro Tour," said Mountcastle.