HE rocketed up the leaderboard on the second day of the New South Wales Country Championship, but in the end it was not quite enough for Bathurst golfing talent Reece Hodson to take the spoils.
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Playing on his home course at the Bathurst Golf Club, Hodson climbed from 10th after his first 18 holes to finish in a tie for second, one stroke behind victor Jordan Ayre.
It was an impressive finish from the multiple Bathurst Club Champion as he carded three birdies - at the fourth, 11th and 17th - in his final round 69. It was the second best round of the day.
It added to his 72 on the first day of play and saw him finish alongside Reid Brown (74, 67) of Wingham Golf Club at one-under the card.
Hodson was one of three Bathurst players to finish in the top 50, with Cameron Jackson (35th), Mike Stanford (36th) and Tony Forster (50th) all in the top half of the leaderboard, while Bathurst native and now Wauchope player Jarryd Bird placed 40th.
Forster also placed second in the nett behind Singleton's Chad Vesper.
For 25-year-old Ayre, his Sunday afternoon triumph in the Country Championships came after a horror start that morning.
The Royal Canberra player had sat in sixth after an one-under opening round 70 at the Bathurst course, but bogeyed the second, third and fourth holes to slip further off the pace.
But he carded two birdies before finishing his front nine then in his run home record three more on the 11th, 14th and 15th to finish with a 70. It put him at two-under for the tournament and handed him a one-shot win, which also booked him a place in the NSW Open.
"I got off to an awful start, bogeying three of my first four holes, and after that, there was only one way to go," Ayre told Golf New South Wales.
"It got a bit breezy which made controlling your ball a bit hard. But in the end, I was very happy.
"I've been playing solid golf, so hopefully, I can keep the form going, and we will see what's on the horizon next year."
