Brown takes New Zealand PGA Championship in playoff

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CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) -- Australian Mitchell Brown beat compatriot Ashley Hall in a sudden-death playoff Sunday to win the New Zealand PGA Championship.

Brown parred the first hole of the playoff -- the difficult 18th at the par-72 Clearwater Resort -- while Hall missed a putt and bogeyed. The win was Brown's first in four years as a professional.

Brown and Hall finished level at 281, 7 under par, after 72 holes, one shot ahead of New Zealander Grant Moorhead. Hall held a one-shot lead over Brown late in his round but fell back into a playoff after dropping a shot on the 18th hole.

Brown shot a final-round 68, Hall a 73 and Moorehead 71.

"It's always a good thing when you're in the clubhouse and there's guys coming in because it's a lot easier to drop shots than it is to make them," Brown said.

"He (Hall) is a good mate of mine, we travel together a lot and we were actually roommates for about two years on the Asian tour. We play practice rounds together and everything so it was good, it was a bit of fun."