South Australian Jack Buchanan has claimed a maiden Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff at the CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics at Kalgoorlie Golf Course.
On a day in which three players began with a share of the lead and contenders came and went throughout an absorbing afternoon, Buchanan (66) and West Australian Jordan Doull (67) both finished at 17-under-par, forcing an extension to their duel in the desert.
After a disastrous tee shot on the 72nd hole that led to a closing bogey, Buchanan took the first playoff hole by the scruff of the neck with a bomb down the centre of the fairway.
Doull was forced to scramble his way to the green after his tee shot missed the fairway left yet looked to have stolen the win when he made his birdie putt from just outside 15 feet.
Buchanan then had to make his own putt for birdie from eight feet, finding just enough of the left edge to send the playoff down the 18th hole for a second time.
The fairway again proved difficult to find from the tee, Doull’s hopes taking a hit when he was forced to play his second shot backwards to the safety of the fairway.
Although both players found themselves in the bunker to the right of the green, Buchanan had one shot up his sleeve, converting his putt from 10 feet for the birdie that would clinch victory.
“After I finished, I just accepted that no matter what happened, it was a good week,” Buchanan said.
“Lucky enough to get in a playoff and get it done. It was pretty nervy, but it happened in the end.
“This means so much. Getting over that first hurdle makes you believe that you can do it more.”
Less than five months into his professional career, Doull began the day tied at the top with Elvis Smylie and Cameron John, but it was Buchanan who quickly took the ascendancy.
Less than a year since turning professional, Buchanan made five birdies in his first seven holes to establish a three-shot lead only to three-putt the par-3 eighth and make double-bogey.
Playing his first event as a professional, Singapore’s Ryan Ang joined Buchanan at the top of the leaderboard early in the back nine yet suffered a setback of his own when he dropped shots at both 13 and 14.
Back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11 saw Doull join Buchanan at 15-under, his South Australian opposite responding with a 20-footer for birdie at the par-3 13th to edge one clear once again.
It quickly became a two-man shootout as the pair traded birdies to keep the likes of Ang (65), Smylie (68), John (69) and Brett Rankin (69) at bay.
A birdie on 17 sent Buchanan to the 72nd tee with a two-stroke lead yet Doull’s birdie on 16 and Buchanan’s closing bogey gave the West Australian a putt to win on the final hole.
Heartbreakingly for Doull, he left his 12-foot birdie try short, sending the pair back to the 18th tee for extra holes.
Smylie looks set for a big season after his third-place finish while Ang impressed on debut, sharing fourth place with John.
“I just wanted to make the cut to be honest and make the first pay cheque,” said Ang, whose 65 was the low round on Sunday.
“Obviously exceeded my expectations by a lot, but really proud of how the work’s paid off and set a good start to the season.”
In the WA PGA All Abilities Championship played in conjunction across the weekend, Sawtell Golf Club’s Lachlan Smith celebrated his first All Abilities victory.
