My drive was pretty bad but I don't think it deserved an 8JOSH Geary is one New Zealand golfer who would probably be happy to come back to The Hills every year.
Geary again showed his liking for the Arrowtown course when he posted a final-round 70 yesterday to finish the leading New Zealander, 7-under for the tournament in a tie for ninth.
It could have been better much better had he not suffered a meltdown on his penultimate hole.
Geary found the water on the par-5 17th and finished with a triple-bogey 8.
"That left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth," he said after he walked off the 18th hole for the last time.
"It was a real shame to kill that momentum.
"There was quite a strong left-to-right wind blowing and my drive just caught a little fade and the wind grabbed it and took it way right, back to the water."
Geary (25) took a drop into a tricky lie, saw his third shot land in a vicious spot next to the rocks above a bunker, chunked out his fourth and played his fifth through the green.
He then two-putted for his worst single hole of the tournament.
"It was a comedy of bad lies, that hole.
My drive was pretty bad but I don't think it deserved an 8."
Last year, Geary was fourth and the leading New Zealander in the Open, which has not had a home-grown winner since Dunedin's Mahal Pearce won at Middlemore in 2003.
He also had a top-15 finish at The Hills in 2007.
"I like the course and I seem to play well here. I'm not sure why. It's been great to have local support and a lot of close family here. Maybe the home crowd helped me a bit."
Everywhere Geary walked over the four rounds at The Hills he was watched intently by mother Marie and American girlfriend Sandy, among others.
He said he was disappointed with his 1-over-par third round of 73, including five bogies, on Saturday.
"I played pretty well but my putting let me down big-time on Saturday.
I couldn't really get anything going."
Geary did better with the short stick yesterday as he birdied four straight holes on the back nine, making long putts on the 13th, 14th and 16th holes.
He has no strong feelings on whether the Open should stay at The Hills or move to somewhere like Cape Kidnappers next year.
"I haven't really thought about it. There are a few nice courses around the country.
"It's one of those things you can't change. You just rock up and play wherever it's being held."
Geary will play the Moonah Classic next week before preparing for a swag of events on the new OneAsia Tour.
Of the four other New Zealanders who made the cut, Phil Tataurangi placed the highest.
He was 1-under through 12 holes yesterday before bogeying the 13th, 14th and 16th.
Tataurangi, who has never won the tournament, finished on 6-under after four rounds to tie for 16th.
Brad Iles carded 73 yesterday to finish 5-under, and Gareth Paddison blew out with a 77 to finish 1-over.
There was no miracle comeback for David Smail, co-leader after the first round, who had a double bogey and six bogies yesterday to post a 78 and finish even-par.
