Adam Scott let slip a golden opportunity to win a second Australian Open crown, outplayed on Sunday by big-hitting Polish golfer Adrian Meronk at Victoria Golf Club.
When Scott bogeyed the short par-4 first and Meronk birdied it for a two-shot swing, the 6-foot-6 DP World Tour winner was able to cruise the final round into his second title this year. He fired a four-under par 66, highlighted by a long-range eagle from off the green at the par-5 18th to seal the $A270,000 victory.
At 14 under, Meronk won by five from Scott, who struggled to a 72. Scott hung in there for most of the final day until he hit it out-of-bounds from the tee at the par-4 17th en route to a double-bogey 6. Min Woo Lee (69) was third at eight-under.
“I’m super excited and to finish like that on the 18th hole is just unreal,” Meronk, who also won the DP World Tour’s Irish Open in July, said after the round. “I’m so grateful, thank you for all the support and I enjoyed this week so much. I felt really good again today. I kept doing what I’ve done the last two days and it worked pretty well. I’m super proud of myself, proud of my team and super happy right now.”
Meronk was steady and impressive chasing down Scott on the front nine, having started one shot back of the 2013 Masters winner. Meronk made birdies on the first two holes as well as the par-5 ninth to sit atop the leaderboard. But on the back nine, a turning point came in a dramatic, two-hole stretch when Scott made birdie at the par-4 12th before Meronk made bogey at the par-4 13th. Suddenly the pair were tied for the lead. At the short par-4 15th, though, Scott left a simple wedge well short and only managed par, while Meronk’s birdie set up his rollercoaster bogey-eagle finish.
“I would have loved to play just a little bit better today,” said Scott, who was disappointed but positive. “I wish I was a little bit tighter with a couple of shots and maybe put the pressure on [Meronk] a bit more at the end. But you know 15 was the turning point, and then he played solid from there. That’s how you close it out and make it hard for guys to catch you.”
Lee, Haydn Barron and Alejandro Canizares took out the Open Championship qualifying series spots to next year’s Open at Royal Liverpool.
“It’s awesome; it was a bit of a kick in the gut on on the European Tour not to get into the top 30 [last season] who get into the Open, so this is I guess a nice way, two weeks after that, to get it done,” Lee said. “It’s an awesome feeling to go back to the Open.”
Reigning Women’s British Open champion Ashleigh Buhai won the Women’s Australian Open ( 73, 12-under), one shot ahead of Jiyai Shin (75, 11-under). LPGA Tour Hannah Green (74, 10 under). She had her husband, Dave, on the bag this week.
“It’s the cherry on the top I guess,” Buhai said of her major-winning season.
Kipp Popert claimed the Australian All Abilities Championship. “To be the champion here is an absolute honour,” he said. “I had three Tim Tams yesterday, so there must be something in those.”
