Palmerston’s own Aaron Pike beats a late charge from Michael Sim to win his first NT PGA title

Aaron Pike was the toast of his hometown Palmerston last night after a gutsy one-stroke win over rival Michael Sim

True Blue ... Aaron Pike with the unique Crocodile Trophy he received as the 2020 NT PGA champion. Picture: Taylah Somerville

AARON Pike was the toast of Palmerston last night after winning his first hometown PGA golf tournament in front of his adoring fans.

Pike had his older brother caddying for him through a 4-under par final round that included a chip-in eagle at the par-5 second hole and a one-stroke win after an extra playoff hole.

And like any maiden win on a golf course, Pike had to hold his nerve when final round partner and housemate for the three days of the championship, Michael Sim, made a late charge with birdies on two of the last three holes.

“It’s awesome winning on my home course, it’s good to win anywhere but here it probably means a little bit more,’’ Pike told the NT News.

“I didn’t have my best stuff all week, it was just a war of attrition that got me home really.

“I didn’t hit the ball great, though I putted quite nicely and did the right things on a golf course I know better than anyone here.

“But even without my best stuff, it was probably the best mental approach I’ve had in my life during a golf tournament where nothing phased me.

“I just kept plugging away and when something went bad I immediately pulled myself back in and said to myself ‘do what you’ve got to’ and that was probably evident right up to the end when the 18th created its own dramas.’’

An approach shot to within two and a half metres at the final hole set up a third birdie in the space of four holes that gave Sim the joint clubhouse lead at 12-under.

Pike missed his own birdie chance from four metres on the same hole that meant another trip down the 18th in the first playoff hole.

Both players failed to find the fairway with their tee shots and when Sim caught a flyer with a nine-iron out of the rough from 140 metres and shot his ball out of bounds, Pike was left with a relatively simple metre putt for par and the championship.

Another Territorian, Gove-born Anthony Quayle, shot a final round 66 to finish six shots of the pace at six-under par.

Final Leaderboard — 201: Aaron Pike*, Michael Sim (Pike won on 1st playoff hole). 204: Nathan Barbieri (a), Deyen Lawson. 205: Justin Warren. 206: Anthony Quayle. 207: Jed Morgan (a). 208: Michael Wright, Jordan Mullaney. 209: Lawry Flynn (a), Josh Clarke, Bradley Doherty.