[Photo: Getty images]
In boxing terms, it’s “Herbert vs Hollywood.” But Elvis may jump into the ring and he may be joined by the title holder.
The Australian Open began with controversy over the course set up and the format. Bouts of torrential rain tried to dampen it. But the national championship is set for a blockbuster finish.
Lucas Herbert will have to fend off a golfer named after Mel Gibson’s famous character from Lethal Weapon and a hot defending champion in Joaquin Niemann if he wants a dream Australian Open win on the Melbourne Sandbelt.
Herbert’s earliest memory of watching a big tournament on the Sandbelt was Tiger Woods’ two-shot win over Greg Chalmers at the 2009 Australian Masters at Kingston Heath, when the Bendigo native was 14.
Some 15 years later, Herbert, now 28, was tied for the Australian Open lead at the same golf course after three rounds. He sat 14-under-par alongside American Ryggs Johnston, who was named after the character Martin Riggs who was portrayed by Gibson in the iconic action movie.
Defending champion, Chile’s Niemann, who won at The Lakes and The Australian GC last year, shot a course-record 64 at Kingston Heath to catapult himself into a share of third at 12-under with a group including China’s Wenyi Ding. Ding won the Asia Pacific Amateur last month and immediately turned pro to take up a DP World Tour card through a new pathway. Last week’s Australian PGA winner, Elvis Smylie, was also 12-under. Smylie also shot 64, on Friday, but it was preferred lies and didn’t count as a record. For the first time in his career, Smylie, who was named after the iconic musician, saw a golf fan dressed as Elvis Presley.
Herbert battled bouts of rain and a frustrating putter for most of the day, but sublime ball-striking kept him in the driver’s seat during an even-par par 72. “A little bit frustrating, but no ground lost, really, and I’m still in the lead [only] I let a few more people back in the tournament,” Herbert, the recent NSW Open winner, said. Herbert drove the ball well and struck his irons nicely through the wind and rain but managed only one birdie, which was cancelled out by a bogey at the fourth. He had nine straight pars coming in.
Herbert said despite missing a series of birdie putts on the back nine, the silver lining was he clung to a spot in Sunday’s final group with rookie pro Johnston. He will draw from his wire-to-wire win at the 2021 Irish Open, the second of his three DP World Tour victories before joining the PGA Tour and then LIV Golf in 2024.
“I think it’s much easier to play from that last group,” Herbert said. “For me, the Irish Open win, I led the whole way and played in the final group. I watched everything happen in front of me, and still played the way I did.”
Herbert won the NSW Open earlier this month at Murray Downs and only two hours from his hometown. As an elite amateur, he joined neighbouring Melbourne Sandbelt course Commonwealth Golf Club. He has won on the DP World and PGA Tour in the US but never a top-tier event on the Australian calendar. It’s a childhood dream to try for one on the Sandbelt.
“The Aussie Masters in 2009 when Tiger came, that’s one of my [earliest] memories,” Herbert said. “It’s been tricky not to walk past the honour board in the clubhouse and see the last couple of names who won major tournaments here. That’s probably [what was so] frustrating [today], because I really want to win this. It looks so easy for Ryggs, who doesn’t probably care about the Australian Open as much as I do, with no with no disrespect to him. It just means so much being my national open, I’d love to put it on my resume.”
Ryggs Johnston hits a shot on Saturday’s third round. Photo: Getty
Johnston turned pro recently after a college career at Arizona State University and then got his card through DP World Tour qualifying school. He laughed with Australian reporters when asked how he got his name and unusual spelling. “It’s a movie character from Lethal Weapon because they thought it was a cool name [and] my dad’s side of the family’s a bunch of ‘R’ names [starting with R].”
The 24-year-old Johnston said it’s been “a long time since I’ve won a golf tournament” but that he wanted “to stay in it for all 18 holes and give myself a chance” on Sunday’s final round. He’ll rely on his hunting skills developed in his home state of Montana. He enjoys hunting deer and elk. “They go hand in hand when you’re from Montana; if you don’t like that you better move,” he said with a laugh.
Golf fans aren’t moving anywhere, though. A weird and wonderful finale on the Melbourne Sandbelt awaits.
Final round leading groups:
12.50pm AEDT: Ryggs Johnston, Lucas Herbert, Jasper Stubbs
12.39pm: Elvis Smylie, Oliver Lindell, Wenyi Ding
12.28pm: Marc Leishman, Harrison Crowe, Joaquin Niemann
WOMEN’S AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Former world No.1 and past Women’s Australian Open champion Jiyai Shin came from the clouds to steal the outright lead after three rounds in Melbourne. Shin chipped in on the 17th and drained a long birdie at the 18th to finish at 14-under. Hannah Green reeled off six birdies in a row but made a double-bogey at the 17th to fall into outright second. Two-time British Open winner Shin shot a six-under 67 at Kingston Heath Golf Club while Green was 12-under. Ash Buhai, who has won the previous two Women’s Australian Opens, lurked in third at 10-under.
