Gates shoots 67, takes lead at New Zealand Open
By Jeff Adams, PGA TOUR Staff
QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand -- Playing in his first Nationwide Tour event, 24-year-old Robert Gates of The Woodlands, Texas, is the surprise leader at the halfway point of the Michael Hill New Zealand Open.
The 2008 Texas A&M graduate who grew up in Gainesville, Fla., followed up yesterday's 7-under 65 with a 67 at The Hills Golf Club today to take a one-shot lead over Andrew Dodt of Australia.
In third place at 9 under is D.J. Brigman of Albuquerque, N.M., who posted a 69 today to go along with his first-round 66..
Four shots back at 8 under are two more Americans, Darron Stiles of Pinehurst, N.C. and Kevin Chappell of Fresno, Calif., winner of the 2008 Jack Nicklaus Award as the year's top male collegiate player out of UCLA.
At 7 under are eight players, including last year's Michael Hill New Zealand Open runner-up, Martin Piller, who was Gates' freshman roommate at Texas A&M.
The leader showed no signs of nerves this morning in his second trip around the 7,243-yard Hills golf course as he posted seven birdies and only one bogey, the result of sailing a gap wedge over the eighth green from 118 yards.
Gates has girlfriend and former Texas A&M golfer Lauren Johnson caddying for him. A native of Houston, Johnson is an instructor at the Massengale golf school there and helped the Nationwide Tour rookie read several putts over the first two days.
"I'm playing well, hit a lot of great shots and made some good putts," Gates said. "There are no real weaknesses right now, and while I hit a few bad irons, I managed to get up and down. I still need to capitalize on opportunities on some of the easier holes."
Gates and Dodt shared the first-round lead yesterday. Dodt posted a 68 today that included six birdies and two bogeys on a spectacular day on New Zealand's picturesque South Island. The Queenslander who turned 24 on Tuesday is seeking his first win as a professional. He won four times as an amateur and was runner-up in the 2006 New Zealand Amateur Open.
The 6-foot 6-inch Gates, a self-confessed fan of another tall golfer, Ernie Els, became fully-exempt for the Nationwide Tour this year following his tie for 42nd in December's PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament. He spent last summer playing the Canadian Tour where he made eight of 10 cuts and finished 22nd on the Order of Merit. Gates has one PGA TOUR start to his credit. After Monday qualifying for the 2009 Valero Texas Open, he tied for 47th and had a career-low 64 in the second round.
Gates indicated his realistic goal last fall was to get to the final stage of q-school and secure Nationwide Tour status.
"I was really excited about the opportunity to come out here (on the Nationwide Tour) because it's a great learning experience," Gates said. "You want to put yourself in positions like I am now and learn how to compete on the highest level."
"I think the Nationwide Tour is a great opportunity for me," he added. "A lot of people who jump straight to the PGA TOUR struggle. Statistically, this Tour has shown to be a great proving ground."
The New Zealand Open is the country's oldest golf championship dating to 1907. Past champions of the event include World Golf Hall of Fame members Bobby Locke of South Africa, Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle of Australia and New Zealand's own Bob Charles.
The championship is co-sanctioned by the Nationwide Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia, with 78 players representing each Tour.
First-Round Notes:
• The best round of the day was 66, shot by three players: Piller, Chappell and James Hahn of Korea.
• The top New Zealander is Phil Tataurangi, who is 7 under and tied for sixth. Yesterday's co-leader, Kiwi David Smail, fell off the pace today with a 74. He is tied for 23rd.
• Robert Gates' 12-under 132 total tops last year's 134 halfway score set by Jeff Gove and Jason Norris. This is the second year of the Nationwide Tour's participation in this championship.
• The cut came at 2-under 142, with 67 players surviving to play the weekend.
• Friday's scoring average of 72 was two-thirds of a shot higher than Thursday's 71.37.
• Any contender coming to the 18th hole on Sunday needing to make par will have a real challenge on his hands. The 492-yard par-4 has been the toughest hole on the course, playing to a two-day average of 4.3.
• Among those missing the cut were Ken Duke (-1), Bubba Dickerson (-1), Craig Parry (-1), Bob May (even), Peter Lonard (+1), Manny Villegas (+2), Peter Senior (+2), Skip Kendall (+4) and Brendon Todd (+8). Last week's PGA Championship winner, Mitchell Brown, missed by one shot.
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