Takahiro Hataji secured victory in New Zealand

Japanese golfer Takahiro Hataji secured victory on the 103rd version of the New Zealand Open with a complete rating of 267 (69 65 66 67, -17) strokes, narrowly edging out Australian Scott Hend, who completed second with 268 (-16) strokes.

The match, held throughout three programs on the Millbrook Resort & Nation Membership (Coronet Course, Remarkables Course, and Millbrook Course, the place the ultimate spherical befell, all par 71), in Arrowtown, New Zealand, noticed Stefano Mazzoli end 58th with a rating of 279 (69 67 73 70, -5).

Takahiro Hataji, outcomes

Hataji, a 30-year-old skilled from Hiroshima, Japan, who had not beforehand received on the Japan Tour, clinched his first victory on the Asian Tour in his third look, following two missed cuts in 2022.

He claimed the title by rallying from third place with a remaining spherical rating of 68 (-4), which included 4 birdies, surpassing Hend, who had led after three rounds however stumbled with a bogey on the final gap (70, -2, 4 birdies, two bogeys).

Hataji acquired a prize of $201,686 from a handbag of roughly $1,220,000 (the official quantity being two million New Zealand {dollars}). In third place, tied with a rating of 269 (-19), have been New Zealander Josh Geary and Australians Anthony Quayle and Matthew Griffin, the latter of whom had led alongside Hend after three rounds.

In sixth place have been three extra native gamers, Ben Wharton, Brad Kennedy, and Justin Warren, together with South African Ian Snyman. Mazzoli’s rating was matched by Australian Branden Jones, who was defending his title. Stefano Mazzoli additionally earned a prize within the third match of the season on the circuit, having gained entry with an eighth-place end within the Qualifying College.

Beforehand, he had completed thirty first within the Malaysian Open and forty eighth within the Worldwide Sequence Oman. He additionally made the minimize in his sole look on the Asian Tour, earlier than acquiring his card, ending forty second within the Saudi Worldwide in January 2023.

Within the remaining spherical, he climbed 22 positions with a rating of 70 (-2) after a rocky begin with a bogey and a double bogey on the entrance 9, adopted by 4 birdies on the again 9.