New Zealander Geary claims hard-fought Vic Open win

New Zealander Josh Geary has won the men’s Vic Open the tough way, overcoming brutal conditions as strong winds whipped around 13th Beach.

Geary began the final day with a four-shot lead and was never headed in conditions he described as the toughest he had every played in.

The final margin was also four strokes, but only after the 40-year-old had a few nervous moments on the back nine, including four straight bogeys from the 13th onwards.

Geary mostly kept his composure on Sunday as tempers regularly frayed elsewhere, but even he was sorely tested after carding a triple-bogey seven on the eighth hole.

Players repeatedly had to replace their balls before putting after they moved on the greens.

Geary eventually signed for a six-over 78 and a four-round total of 13-under 275.

Australian Connor McKinley (70) was one of only three men to break par on Sunday and was rewarded with outright second at nine under, a shot clear of Kiwi duo Kerry Mountcastle (70) and Michael Hendry (74) and Australian Austin Bautista (79).

With his partner working full-time and two young children at home, Geary has had to scale back on his travelling commitments in recent years.

On arrival at 13th Beach, he said his main aim was to fine-tune his game ahead of the New Zealand Open later this month.

But after taking the outright lead after the second round, Geary was never headed as he claimed just his second win on the Australasian Tour and his first since 2013.

First-round leader Kade McBride started the final day six shots off the pace, but any chance he had of making a challenge disappeared when he quadruple-bogeyed the opening hole.

He signed for a 17-over 89.

Full leaderboard – https://www.golf.org.au/vicopen/scores

By John Salvado AAP