Green wins New Zealand Open

Aussie Nathan Green stormed out of the pack to win the Blue Chip New Zealand Open.

But Peter Lawrie and Damien McGrane let their last chance of victory in 2006 slip away.

Green jumped from 39th to first when he hit a six under par 65 in dreadful morning conditions at the Gulf Harbour Country Club.

But he was out so early on the final day that he had to wait nearly three hours to see if anyone could match his target of five under par.

In the end he won by two strokes from Michael Campbell, Nick Dougherty, Marcus Fraser, Jarrod Moseley, Wade Ormsby and Brett Rumford as high winds lashed the later starters.

They included Lawrie, who got into a six-way tie for the lead on five under when he birdied three of his first five holes.

But the Dubliner went on to add six bogeys and just two more birdies in a one over par 72.

That left him tied for 12th place with McGrane on one under par after the Kells man also disappointed in the final round.

Starting the day tied for eighth, just two shots off the lead, McGrane's challenge evaporated with a double bogey seven at the 11th in a closing 73.

Former US Open winner Campbell was disappointed to drop three shots coming home and finish just two behind.

He said: "It wasn't meant to be. All credit to Nathan Green for playing so well in these conditions."

Playing alongside the in-form Green, Englishman Dougherty bounced back from a third round 79 to with a 67 to share second place.