It was all about Matt Griffin this week, as the Victorian opened with an incredible 11-under 61 and never looked back on his way to hoisting the trophy at this year’s Heritage Classic.
Starting his final round five shots clear of nearest challenger, Jak Carter, Griffin had shots to work with, but made sure of the win with a clinical, three-under 69 in the final round to finish at an unbelievable 24-under par.
Griffin’s day started with a bogey on the first hole, and as Carter birdied the second, and eagled the fourth, it looked like the trophy could be in the balance.
Once Carter’s tee-shot found the water on the ninth, though, and subsequent birdie chances slid by, his chances of catching Griffin were all but gone.
Seven shots behind at the beginning of Sunday’s conclusion, Queensland amateur Quinn Croker made a late charge, making three birdies on his back nine, his efforts good enough to grab a share of second with Carter at 18-under.
There was simply no catching Griffin, though, with birdies at 11, 12 and 14, the 40-year-old stretched his lead as the number of holes left in the day became smaller.
As he walked down the final fairway with kangaroos bounding along ahead of him, Griffin had a six-shot lead and could comfortably soak up the atmosphere as the sun set on a magical week in the Yarra Valley.
“It was nice to play really well through that middle stretch of the round, and those birdies on the early part of the back nine kind of took it away from everyone else,” Griffin said.
The win this week marks Griffin’s first since his triumph at the 2016 New Zealand Open, where he surely didn’t think his next trophy would be another eight years away.
“I’d had a number of wins in a short period of time, so I think that was win number… probably five in about six years,” he said of his 2016 win.
“It’s funny, they kind of happen and then you have the big break. I’ve had two runs of missing seven cuts and five cuts in a row. You’re only human so you start to doubt whether you’ve still got it and you’re getting a bit older.
“It’s a big confidence boost that I can still beat these guys, and to do it comfortably as well is even better.”
After Griffin’s final putt dropped, and he’d shaken hands, the first person he looked for was his young son Jack.
“Since I was a young kid watching golfers win tournaments and their kids run out, it’s a dream that you have, so to have Jack be able to be here is super, super special,” he said.
Carter’s two-under 70, and Croker’s four-under 68, were both strong closing rounds in their own right, but completely overshadowed by their playing partner.
“No, because I was marking his scorecard,” Croker laughed when asked if he thought he was a chance to catch Griffin today.
Tied second marks amateur Croker’s fifth top-15 finish – four of them top-10s – on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this season, the professional setting seeming to bring out the best in the young Queenslander.
Carter’s strong week at the Heritage Classic moves him into sixth position on the Order of Merit, but with Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott and Marc Leishman ahead of him unlikely to play the required number of events to qualify, he essentially sits third.
“I’m coming for ’em,” Carter warned to those ahead of him on the season long points race.
“Really, really happy with that, obviously. Looking forward to the rest of the season.”
The return of the Heritage Classic to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia was a resounding success, and players will now doubt be looking forward to a return to The Heritage Golf & Country Club in 2025 and 2026.
