CHALMERS' DAY AT AUSSIE PGA
CH/SHIP - 64, then wins 7-hole play-off!
Aussie left-hander Greg Chalmers, 41, shot a final round of eight-under 64 to get into a three-way play-off against two compatriots, Adam Scott and Wade Ormsby, who also finished on 11-under-par 277 - and then Chalmers won a marathon play-off to be crowned Australian PGA champion at Royal Pines, Queensland.
Defending champion Scott birdied the 15th on his way to a last-round, one-under 71.
Ormsby finished his round with a huge birdie putt which resulted in a three-way tie.
The 18th hole was used for the play-off which took seven holes to settle.
Scott missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the first
play-off hole and did the same on the second extra
hole - once again the 18th - when Ormsby missed from seven feet.
Chalmers and Scott had birdie 3s at the third play-off hole, eliminating Ormsby who had a par 4..
Chalmers
and Scott battled on until the former prevailed at the seventh time of
asking, thanks to a par after Scott three-putted for bogey, missing a
four-footer for par.
Chalmers, a 41-year-old left-hander, was following up his 2011 success in the event and secured his 10th title as a professional.
Chalmers
had started the day seven shots behind Scott, Ormsby and Scott Strange,
but an eight-under 64 took him into a share of the lead with Scott and
Ormsby, who both carded 71s as Strange dropped out of contention with a
76.
He made eight birdies in a flawless round
that featured two monster putts in excess of 50 feet, taking only 26
putts in total and hitting 16 greens in regulation.
New
Zealand's Michael Hendry closed with a 71 to finish fourth at nine
under, one stroke ahead of American Scott Stallings (71) and two clear
of Boo Weekly (74) of the United States.
Chalmers said: "I never
thought I'd be sitting here today. I'm very pleased to be the champion. I
took some chances and they paid off.
"The key for me today was to keep pushing. Australia has been blessed to have some of the world's best players.
"Every career has a pathway and mine started right here."
RandA NEWS FLASH: Marcus
Fraser, Scott Hend, Jonathan Moore and Anirban Lahiri qualified for the
144th Open at St Andrews next July.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
par 288, players from Australia unless stated otherwise
277 Greg Chalmers 71 71 71 64, Wade Ormsby 68 67 71 71, Adam Scott 68 69 69 71 (Chalmers won play-off at seventh extra hole)
279 Michael Hendry (NZ) 70 71 67 71
280 Scott Stallings (USA) 72 70 68 70
281 Boo Weekley (USA) 66 72 69 74
SELECTED TOTALS
284 Marc Leishman 69 71 74 70 (T11)
286 David Small (NZ) 68 71 71 76, Jason Scrivener 73 66 68 79 (T18).
TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
CLICK HERE
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