PGA professional Mark Brown has torn the field apart to win the Carrus Tauranga Open by four strokes.

Trailing Takaka player Blair Riordan by four heading into the final round, Brown quickly went to work; recording birdies at the first, third, fourth and sixth holes as well as an eagle at the seventh to tally a staggering 29 on the front nine.

Winner of the Carrus Tauranga Open, Mark Brown.

It was the sort of Sunday every golfer cherishes. Brown's score was the best on the day by four strokes and, most importantly, 14 strokes better than Riordan's, who faded in shooting a six over par score of 76 after three successive scores in the sixties on the first three days.

Brown was seriously threatening to shoot a final round 59 when he birdied both 11 and 12 to go eight under for the day, but then throttled off over the tougher closing stages to notch six straight pars to take the title easily.

Troy Ropiha capped off a quality tournament with a one under 69 to finish in outright second place on thirteen under. He threatened in the early stages and was three under after six holes, but bogeys on nine and eleven meant he couldn't quite keep touch with Brown.

Mount Maunganui amateur Bradley Kendall underlined his credentials once again with a one under par score of 69 to finish third.

He shot 32 on the front nine – including an action-packed five-hole stretch from holes two to six that included four birdies and a bogey – but couldn't get it going on the tougher back nine.

He recorded 37 coming home, including bogeys on The Knoll and the 405m par four seventeenth, but showed more than enough to suggest the growing hype around him is real.

Kieran Muir came home with a 66 to finish in a three-way tie for fourth with Riordan and Peter Spearman-Burn at seven under, with Owen Burgess one stroke back.

Jordan Bakermans, Doug Holloway and David Klein rounded out the top ten, with only 15 players shooting below par over the four rounds.

Jared Pender finished in sixteenth place at even par after shooting a 70 including three birdies and three bogeys.


Stuart Jennings at the Carrus Tauranga Open. Photo by Mark Cairns.

Mark Brown.

Grant Moorhead.

Jess Guenzerodt.

Doug Holloway.

Blair Riordan.

Heather Lavery.

Mark Brown, Troy Ropiha and Blair Riordan.

Jordan Bakermans.