Once ranked as high as 129th in the world, Flanagan’s career has been in a state of flux in recent years due to both injury and a lack of playing opportunities.
Once a Hunter product tipped to challenge the likes of Jan Stephenson and Jack Newton as one of the region’s greatest ever golfers, Flanagan returns for the TPS Hunter Valley at Cypress Lakes Golf and Country Club facing his own golf mortality.
He also becomes the first player to win the New Zealand Open twice since Greg Turner in 1997, and the first Australian to win twice since Bob Shearer in 1981.
Kiwi hopes rest on the shoulders of Michael Hendry and Harry Bateman, who both sit four shots off the lead, and Kieran Muir, who is a further shot adrift.
A first-time winner has come out on top in each of the past six Major championships. After 36 holes at Erin Hills, where the top 18 names on the leaderboard have won a combined zero Majors, it looks as though we are headed for a seventh.