Self-described journeyman Tyler Hodge has won the New Zealand PGA championship for the biggest victory of his professional golf career.
Hodge prevailed by one shot from fellow New Zealander Kerry Mountcastle and Australian Tim Hart in a tense triumph on Sunday at the Hastings Golf Club.
Hodge carded 69 in the final round to finish at 16 under for the tournament.
The lefthander weathered some wobbles - he carded three bogeys in an eight-hole span to the 16th - but steadied with pars on the last two holes.
Hodge turned pro in 2015 but quit four years later.
After a year away from the game, he returned to amateur golf and caddying before, in 2023, deciding to return to the pro circuit.
“I had a couple of years off a few years ago and then kind of came back to the game and have been enjoying it," the 30-year-old said.
“But she’s a tough old slog, pro golf. My fiancee and I have been having some chats about possibly giving the pro playing stuff away.
“We’ll have to have a bit more of a chat over the winter about that.
“I’m almost a journeyman now. Golf is different, there’s a lot of learnings that you have to go through yourself.
“People can tell you about it and stuff like that but you have to experience a few of those things and get through a lot of adversity.
“Slowly but surely I've got back into it and then obviously enjoyed it enough to have another crack at the pro stuff.”
Mountcastle and Hart tied for second at 15 under, with Queensland duo Anthony Quayle and Shae Wools-Cobb sharing third with New Zealander Tim Wilkinson at 14 under.
