GOLD COAST: Australia’s Greg Chalmers won the Australian PGA Championship following a dramatic seven-hole play-off against world number three Adam Scott on the Gold Coast yesterday.
Scott had four opportunities to successfully defend his title with birdie putts during the marathon play-off at Royal Pines but failed to convert them. When he then missed a four-foot putt for par on the seventh play-off hole, it allowed Dallas-based Chalmers to seal the win with a near tap-in.
“Just phenomenal, I’m worn out,” said two-time Australian Open champion Chalmers. “I was all over the place... really excited and thrilled.”
The play-off, the longest in history for a tier one tournament in Australia, started with three players after Scott, Chalmers and another Australian Wade Ormsby finished level on 11-under.
Left-hander Chalmers won his first Australian PGA Championship in 2011, also following a three-way play-off.
Ormsby forced his way into the sudden death shoot-out with a long putt on the 18th hole to complete a one-under 71 fourth round. He had a brilliant chance to win the title on the second play-off hole but missed a putt of just four and a half feet.
On the third play-off hole, Ormsby’s brave bid for a second professional win faded as he went wide on his approach and his rivals both made birdies. Chalmers’s putting proved the difference after he had nailed eight birdies during his final round to post a tournament low eight-under-par 64 to surge to the top of the leaderboard.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2014.
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