PADDISON TAKES HSBC NZPGA  LEAD

Friday, Mar 6, 2009

New Zealand lefthander Gareth Paddison has hit the lead at the HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship midway through his second round at Clearwater today.

Paddison, five-under overnight and three behind leader Kurt Barnes, started badly with a bogey at his first hole, the par-5 10th, but birdies at 13, 14, 15 and 18 took him to eight-under then a birdie at the first shot him to outright leader.

The big mover in the morning field was  American Tripp Isenhour who birdied nine of his first 13 holes to be seven-under and equal third with Australian Ryan Hammond.
 
Isenhour, starting off the 10th, bogeyed his first hole but then went on a birdie blitz. He birdied 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, and 18 to equal the course record on the back nine of 31, then birdied the first, second and fourth holes with a bogey at the third. Incredibly he had only two pars in 13 holes.

Australian Gavin Coles, the winner in 2004, also had a great start with birdies at the first four holes. He turned in four-under 32 and was six-under for the tournament through 13 holes, three shots behind Paddison.
 
A keen north-easterly wind greeted the early starters but it abated late in the morning and conditions were conducive for another day of low scoring.
 
The cut after 36 holes will reduce the 156-strong field to the top 60 and ties.