PARAPARAUMU BEACH, Jan 13: Australia’s Craig Parry won the $425,000 New Zealand Open with a birdie on the last after an amazing slip-up by hometown hope Michael Campbell Sunday.

Parry took the winner’s cheque of NZ$180,000 by one stroke as Campbell suffered a double bogey and the lead on the penultimate hole.

A birdie by Parry, currently 119th on the U.S. PGA Tour, on the 18th was enough to see off Campbell, for a total of 273, 11 under par.

The tournament’s star attraction, world number one Tiger Woods, had another a mixed showing, ending with a two-under 69 to trail the winner by six shots.

Woods looked as if he could make a late charge when he eagled the 12th to get within four of the lead.

But a bogey on the next hole put paid to any realistic chance he had of catching the leading group.

Woods’s four-round total of 279 gave him a share of sixth place, with New Zealander Stephen Scahill and Australian Nick O’Hern.

The final day turned into a testing and long one for Parry and 13 others forced to complete their third rounds, interrupted by the previous day’s torrential rain.

He went into the final round eight under, in third equal place, two behind Australian third round leader Stephen Leaney, and New Zealander Steve Alker.

Two birdies and a bogey in the first five holes kept him near the top, but a “bold decision” for only a bogey on the seventh after finding big problems approaching the green probably set him up for the win, Parry said.

He put his third shot into metre-high, thick rough and elected to play the ball rather than declare it unplayable.

On the homeward nine Parry played cat and mouse with Campbell, the world number 28 and winner of the Open in 2000.

By then Campbell had a one stroke advantage on Parry, which he blew on the 17th with a double bogey.

Leading scores:

273 Craig Parry (Australia) 67 69 69 68

274 Stephen Leaney (Australia) 68 67 68 71, Steve Alker 66 70 68 70, Michael Campbell 67 72 66 69

277 Adam Groom (Australia-am) 69 67 74 67

279 Tiger Woods (United States) 70 73 67 69, Stephen Scahill 67 75 69 68, Nick O’Hern (Australia) 68 71 70 70

280 Scott Hend (Australia) 71 71 71 67

281 Steven Conran (Australia) 71 71 69 70, Marcus Norgren (Sweden) 71 69 70 71, Brad Heaven (am) 70 72 67 72

282 James McLean (Australia) 65 70 71 76, Justin Cooper (Australia) 69 70 68 75, Wayne Smith (Australia) 70 69 72 71, Brett Rumford (Australia) 66 71 71 74.—Reuters