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Gates hangs on for win in first start

Sat 30th, January 2010

Queenstown, New Zealand (Sports Network) - In his first career Nationwide Tour start, Robert Gates made history as he hung on Sunday to win the season- opening New Zealand Open.

Gates closed with a two-over 74 to win by a single stroke as he finished at 14-under-par 274.

"The trophy is nice and the check helps, but just knowing this week that I was able to play against some of the greatest golfers in the world and I was the best gives me encouragement that I'm doing things right," said Gates, who collected $108,000 for the win.

Gates became the 13th player in Nationwide Tour history to win while making his tour debut.

Andrew Dodt was tied for the lead after Gates double-bogeyed the 16th, but Dodt double-bogeyed No. 17 to fall two behind. Dodt birdied the last to finish one shot back at minus-13 after closing with an even-par 72.

Jamie Lovemark ended alone in third at 12-under-par 276 thanks to a final- round, four under-68. Michael Curtain (72) took fourth at minus-11 and Mark Hensby finished in fifth at 10-under-par 278 after carding a 71 Sunday at The Hills Golf Club.

Gates led by three at the start of the round. He and Dodt matched birdies on the first, then Gates pushed his lead to four with a birdie on the third.

Both Gates and Dodt bogeyed the fourth. The seventh may have been the key hole of the round as Gates made birdie to move to 18-under and Dodt tripped to a bogey to slide to minus-12.

The 24-year-old Gates led by six, but he may have started to feel pressure as he bogeyed nine and 11 as his lead dropped to four. He settled in with four straight pars from the 12th.

Dodt closed the gap with back-to-back birdies from the 12th.

Gates came up short of the green on the par-three 16th and found a stream. From there, he faltered to a double-bogey to slip into a share of the lead.

The 24-year-old Dodt found a bad lie off the tee at 17 and that led to a double-bogey, which dropped him two back.

Gates closed with back-to-back pars to secure the victory.

"It was no more than three feet and I hit a great chip from back of 18th green," Gates said of his winning par putt. "I told Andrew's caddie before he putted it that he was going to make it because he had played great all day and I have to give him a lot of credit."

Dodt needed eagle at the last to force a playoff, but settled for a closing birdie that gave him solo second.

"I can't be too disappointed. If someone said I would have finished second at the start of the this week, I would have been pretty happy," admitted Dodt. "I was just concentrating on my own game. I was just trying to do what I could do. Obviously I'm disappointed in losing though."

Casey Wittenberg closed with a four-under 68 to take sixth at nine-under-par 279. Kevin Kisner (70) and Martin Piller (71) share seventh at minus-eight.

NOTES: Josh Geary shot 70 on Sunday to end in a share of ninth, making him the low New Zealander for the tournament...2001 winner David Smail and 1995 champ Peter O'Malley both closed with six-over 78s to end in a tie for 47th...Matt Jager, the only amateur to make the cut, managed a 73 in the final round to share 23rd at minus-four.