Hendry and Ieremia Secure Top Ten Finish in QLD PGA

Hendry Ieremia QLD PGA
Mike Hendry and Denzel Ieremia both made Top Ten at QLD PGA

Mike Hendry and Denzel Ieremia have continued their late 2019 form into the new year by securing top ten finishes at the Queensland PGA held at City Golf Club in Toowoomba on the weekend.

Hendry finished tied for 3rd place on 11-under, only one shot behind eventual winner Michael Sim who won at the fourth hole of a playoff against close friend Scott Arnold in a frenetic finale.

Ieremia finished a further shot back tied for 7th on 10-under, as both players had chances heading into the final day.

After he stormed to the top of the leaderboard with a course-record 9-under 61 in the opening round on Thursday, Brad Kennedy spent the next 54 holes trying to keep the field at bay.

With a one-shot buffer at the start of the final round, Kennedy picked up shots at the third, fifth and 12th holes to be 15-under and four shots clear of Sim and the chasing pack with three holes to play before disaster struck.

The Queenslander dropped shots at both 16 and 17 to fall to 13-under and stood on the 18th tee with the understanding that Sydney’s Scott Arnold was safely ensconced in the clubhouse on the same score.

It wasn’t until after Kennedy had hit his tee shot into the left rough that he was informed Arnold had in fact posted 12-under and that par would be enough to complete a wire-to-wire win.

It also opened the door for Sim, who was in prime position in the centre of the fairway and needing a birdie to also get to 12-under and keep his faint title hopes alive.

After choosing to lay up from deep rough with his second shot, Kennedy three-putted the 72nd hole to miss the playoff entirely, Sim and Arnold trading pars and bogeys from all sides of the 18th hole until Sim prevailed at the fourth attempt with an up-and-down from just left of the green.

Kennedy finished tied for third at 11-under along with fellow Japan Golf Tour regular Hendry, Dimi Papadatos and Korean Chang Gi Lee with Andrew Dodt (64), Ieremia (70) and Anthony Quayle (73) a shot further back in a tie for seventh.

Hendry and Ieremia were the only Kiwis who made the cut, both now take the week off before the NZ Open where they will both be in red hot form.

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