Englishman Finch wins New Zealand Open

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Richard Finch rode an even-par 72 to a three-stroke victory Sunday in the New Zealand Open, his first win on the European Tour.

The Englishman finished with a 14-under 274 tournament total. Steven Bowditch, the halfway leader, shared second place with Paul Sheehan at 11-under. Bowditch shot 72 and Sheehan 69.

Finch had a three-shot lead going into the final round. At one point during the up-and-down round, which included four birdies and four bogeys, he had a seven-shot advantage.

"There were a couple of mistakes I made, but the thing was, in the situation I felt I was in, it was a case of not making mistakes," Finch said. "I was probably trying to avoid trouble and by doing that, I found other trouble."