New Zealander Ben Campbell and Australian Deyen Lawson are tied for the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship lead after three rounds at Manawatu Golf Club.

Ben Campbell was a clear home crowd favourite as he fired 4-under 67 in the third round thanks to five birdies and a bogey on the front-9 while he parred his way into the clubhouse.

Despite the solid score and the support, it was a frustrating day on the greens for the Kiwi who felt he left plenty of shots on the course.

“I really struggled reading the greens out there today. I had a lot that looked dead straight and it was just figuring out if they were breaking a little bit left or a little bit right. Just about every one I got wrong so I feel like I’ve left a lot out there today,” said Campbell.

“There were definitely a few people out there and tomorrow I know there are a few more people coming over so it’s always good to get the home crowd support.”

Playing in the same group as Campbell, Lawson was aware of the crowd’s favouritism but was unperturbed as he fired 7-under 64 with his girlfriend and fellow PGA Professional Alexandra Orchard on the bag.

“I’m non-existent out there with the crowd but Ali claps me every now and then,” said Lawson with a wry smile.

“They enjoy Ben. I nearly holed one on 16 and didn’t get much, then Ben hit one into about 10 feet. And the crowd went wild.

“But that’s just how it is, I’ll just go out and do my thing and hopefully it’s good enough tomorrow,” added Lawson, whose round featured 10 birdies, the pick of the bunch coming on the 17^th hole.

“The birdie I made on 17; I was in a spot that wasn’t that great, the ball was way above my feet in the rough, I had to hit a hard wedge.

“I wasn’t too sure about it but Ali was fortunate enough to kick me into gear and said just hit it on close and roll the putt in. Sure enough I did.”

However if either Campbell or Lawson hope to secure their first victory on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia they will need to overcome Matt Millar, the reigning New Zealand Masters champion and 2015 New Zealand PGA champion.

The New Zealand specialist fired 6-under 65 today to be just one shot back of the leading pair.

“I do like playing in New Zealand, particularly this style of golf course where it’s not really that long but there’s a bit of a run on the ground and you’ve got to be pretty accurate. It’s my style of course,” said Millar.

“My first win was the New Zealand PGA at Remuera. I still look at the picture frame at home, it brings back great memories. It’s always good to come back and play well in this event.”

At 13-under the card, Queenslander Anthony Quayle is outright fourth after he fired 6-under 65.

Rounding out the top-5 on the leaderboard are New Zealander David Smail and Tasmanian Simon Hawkes who gave up the overnight lead with a 1-over 72 today.

The final round of the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship tees off at 9.20am with the final group of Lawson, Campbell and Millar on course at 11am.

Ben Campbell has picked up where he left off at the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship leading the tournament after the first round.

Finishing runner-up in 2017, Campbell returned to Manawatu Golf Club, just down the road from where he grew up, in a positive frame of mind and free of expectations.

“I’ve played here a lot. So I think a week like this, you feel a bit more comfortable,” said Campbell.

“I kind of keep to myself really and don’t worry too much about what others think. But I suppose there are (expectations), but if I do what I came here to do and if it’s good enough, it is good enough.”

After a 90 minute delay to the start of the round due to flooded greens, Campbell teed off the 10^th hole and with a solid start made the turn at 2-under the card.

“I holed a good putt on one and that’s probably what got it going. It was probably a 25-30 foot putt down the slope,” added Campbell.

“It was one of those days where the momentum just never stopped. If I needed to hole a putt, like on my fourth hole; I had about a six foot putt par and holed that and then just kept the ball rolling.”

On the front-9 Campbell really started to heat up, reeling off five birdies including one at the par-4 6^th, which is traditionally the hardest hole on the course.

“I actually got a really good drive down there and I only had sand wedge in. I don’t really think I have ever hit a sand wedge into that hole before,” added Campbell.

“After I got the drive away, it turned a tough hole into a bit of an easy hole so it was nice to birdie that one.”

While Campbell finished runner-up at both the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open in 2017, he believes his game is in much better shape this year.

The work he has put into his short game already paying dividends as he went on to open the two week New Zealand swing with a 7-under 65.

“I’ve just been playing really well, this year my game feels a lot better than it has the last year,” added Campbell, who made six cuts in 10 starts in 2017.

“I’ve just really worked hard on my putting. Last year that really cost me, I shouldn’t really have missed too many cuts last year.

“Then todayI made a couple of key up and downs to keep the momentum going.”

Sitting just one shot behind Campbell is his playing partner, Simon Hawkes, who is also in excellent form having just won the Oates Vic Open.

Joining Hawkes on 6-under 65 is New Zealand specialist Matt Millar. The Canberra native is a former NZ PGA Champion having won the event in 2015 and is the current reigning NZ Masters Champion.

At 5-under the card and rounding out the top-5 on the leaderboard are Jordan Zunic, Taylor Cooper and Deyen Lawson who had the best round of the afternoon field.

For all round 1 scores please visit pga.org.au.

The second round of the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship tees off at 7.30am local time with Ben Campbell on course at 12.30pm.

For all round 2 tee times please visit pga.org.au

The in-form Simon Hawkes has swooped on the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship lead after the second round.

Teeing off in the afternoon field at Manawatu Golf Club, Hawkes knew that going low was the only option in the perfect scoring conditions.

The Tasmanian Professional, who completed a PGA Traineeship at Ryde-Parramatta Golf Club, fired 7-under 64, the equal best round of the day to take the outright lead after two rounds.

“I woke up this morning, looked outside and saw there was no wind so I knew that guys would be running up the leader board after us,” said Hawkes, who is 13-under the card after two days.

“For us in the afternoon, it was a little less windy than we had yesterday morning so it did make the course feel a little bit easier. I just tried to do the same thing I did yesterday and I just happened to go one better.

“I’m really comfortable on the greens here. They’re almost identical to my home club.”

Hawkes claimed the lead from his playing partner Ben Campbell, who fired 5-under 66 and now trails by one shot.

“Ben has been great to play with over the last two days. It’s always good to be playing with someone who is in form as well,” added Hawkes.

“It just pushes the vibe of the group up if everybody’s making birdies, you get dragged along.

“I just happened to hole a couple more than he did today and it could go the other way tomorrow.”

Having won his first ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament at the start of the month at the Oates Vic Open, Hawkes is in form and not fazed about upsetting the local crowds if he were to claim the title from a New Zealander.

“It kind of felt a little bit like that out there today with some rounds of applause,” added Hawkes.

“But it’s not going to bother me, I’m just going to stick to what I’ve been doing the last two days and hopefully that’s good enough.”

Campbell, who finished runner-up at the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship in 2017, headed straight to the range after his round to iron out some swing issues before the weekend rounds.

“I started off really nicely; I was 4-under through nine and was playing really well,” said Campbell, whose score card featured six birdies and a bogey.

“I just kind of lost my swing a little bit there but I knew exactly what it was. I’ll go do a little practice now.”

Sitting three shots back from Campbell and rounding out the top-5 on the leaderboard are Deyen Lawson (VIC), Jack Munro (QLD), Matthew Millar (ACT), Jordan Zunic (NSW) and New Zealander David Smail who also recorded a 64 today.

The highlight of the day belonged to local Pro, Josh Munn, who recorded a hole-in-one on the 152 metre par-3 16^th using his 8 iron.

Also giving the crowds something to cheer about was Tim Wilkinson who rallied after an opening round of 76, shooting 7-under the card today to make the cut on the number.

The second round cut was made at 2-under the card with 57 professionals and one amateur making the weekend rounds.

The third round of the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship tees off at 9.20am with Hawkes, Campbell and Deyen Lawson on course at 11am.

Jarryd Felton, a two time winner on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia will defend a title for the first time at the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship this week.

Still the current reigning NSW PGA Champion, Felton returns to Manawatu Golf Club in Palmerston North, New Zealand with fond memories of his victory here last year.

“I’m feeling pretty happy to be back here, I have a lot of good memories, especially of how I played on the back-9 last year and obviously in the play off,” said Felton, who defeated Josh Younger and Ben Campbell in a playoff after he fired a final round of 4-under 67 in 2017.

“Coming down the stretch I was pretty solid and I was playing with Josh (Younger) as well. So it was really good play.

“Winning once, people kind of think it’s a fluke but winning twice kind of showed everyone and me, that I’m good enough to do it. So lots of good memories and hopefully I do it again this week.”

Having re-acquainted himself with the course in a practice round on Tuesday, playing alongside Adam Burdett and against James and Anthony Marchesani, Felton remembered why the layout suited his game and even got his first win for the week in the friendly match.

“I had some good company in the practice round and we took the money off the boys so I already have a little W on the board this week,” added Felton.

“I just love this course and everything about the place. It’s really tight so it’s a really good ball striker’s course. If you hit the greens you can have good chance to birdie.

“I did that in the practice round and hopefully I can do it the rest of the week.”

While lifting the trophy again is on Felton’s mind so too is the European Tour as he focuses his 2018 season around preparing for a tilt at Qualifying School later in the year.

“I know I held the trophy last year but it’s just another tournament really, we’re all just out here trying to play well,” added Felton.

“I played well at the Vic Open and in Perth; I just didn’t do enough to make the third round cuts and then I played pretty poorly last week.

“I’m trying to work on a few things, on and off the golf course, to get everything all tip top ready for European Tour School at end of the year.

Felton will have extra motivation to play well this week after watching his girlfriend, Hannah Green, finish tied third at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Australian Open last week.

“She’s definitely kicking my butt,” joked a clearly competitive Felton.

“She’s playing really well and she deserves it, she has put a lot of hard work in and it just shows that she can do it.”

Felton will tee off his Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship title defence at 12.30pm local time on Thursday 22^nd February playing alongside Kiwis Mark Brown and Tim Wilkinson.

The Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship will be played at Manawatu Golf Club from 22-25 February.

Round one tee times are available at pga.org.au.

Entry to Manawatu Golf Club is free all week to the public.

Tim Wilkinson has long been one of New Zealand’s best performing golfers on the world stage but it has been just as long since he returned home to compete.

Forging a successful career on the PGA TOUR, Wilkinson’s playing priorities have been focused in the U.S. meaning that this week is the first time he has played competitively in New Zealand since 2007.

“These events, the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open and PGA, are right in the middle of the Florida swing. So it’s the difference between driving four hours and flying 24 hours,” explained Wilkinson.

“It’s just been bad timing for me over the last little while. So it’s nice to be home and I’m looking forward to playing,” added Wilkinson, who has been playing on the Web.com Tour in 2018.

“I played four Web events and I had a three week break and these just happened to fall perfectly in the middle.

“I took a week off after playing in Colombia and then was able to come down here and play two events before I go back and play in Mexico.

“It’s just a matter of timing and it worked out really well.”

Wilkinson has had a warm reception upon his return as he tees it up in the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship at Manawatu Golf Club where he grew up playing golf.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve played a tournament here (Manawatu GC), probably 17 years, I actually won the South Island Amateur at this club,” added Wilkinson.

“It’s fun to be home, I know a lot of the members here and they have known me since I was 12 when I first started playing. So it’s nice to see friendly faces.”

The host venue this week is also home to Wilkinson’s long term coach and NZ PGA Professional Andre White.

The pair spent quality time working on the range this morning, a rare occurrence in the long distance partnership.

“Andre works here and lives in Palmerston so it’s been good to work with him the last few days as well,” added Wilkinson.

“I have worked with him for 22 years so we have a good relationship. He’s helped me a lot over the years to really hone my game and work consistently on things and get a little bit better every year. That’s always been the goal.

“Generally Andre comes over once a year, caddies at a couple of events and then we work at my home in Jacksonville. But most of the time we just use FaceTime.

“Technology’s really helped a lot, I just set my tripod up on the range and he watches almost like he is there. He can’t see ball flight but I can tell him what it’s doing and it works well.”

Having grown up on the course, even winning an amateur event on the layout, Wilkinson is expected to play well but he says there are subtle differences that he needs to acquaint himself with.

“I know the course pretty well now but I wouldn’t say very well,” added Wilkinson.

“Some of the tees have changed and there are some new bunkers since I used to play here a lot.

“Butmost of the greens are pretty much the same. It’s just getting back the memory of what putts do and where to hit things and how the wind can blow. So working out how second shots play and how much longer they can play.

“Obviously there’s pressure I put on myself to play well because I know how well I can play here but ultimately I just want to hit good shots and play as well as I can.”

While Tim will be the most famous Wilkinson on course this week, the Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship is a family affair with his parents, Helen and Brian, forming part of the 80 strong volunteer workforce at the tournament this week.

“They like to give back to the game. Obviously the game has been good for all of us; they love doing it.

“They want to give back to the tournament and help out. They actually volunteered before I committed to come here to play.”

The Horizon Golf NZ PGA Championship will be played at Manawatu Golf Club from 22-25 February.

Round one tee times will be made available on pga.org.au.

Entry to Manawatu Golf Club is free all week to the public.