Australian Rod Pampling survived three playoff holes to capture the Australian Masters from compatriot Marcus Fraser at Huntingdale yesterday.
US-based Pampling, 39, finished the regulation 72 holes tied at 12-under 276 with Fraser and prevailed at the third sudden-death playoff hole to take the Masters gold jacket and A$270,000 (US$175,500) winner’s check.
It was Pampling’s first Australasian Tour victory since the 1999 Canon Challenge.
PHOTO: AFP
“I played great today and I hit a lot of quality shots and that’s all I kept telling myself every time we got back to the 18th tee was, ‘hit a shot, hit a shot,’” Pampling said.
Fraser, who plays on the European Tour, began the final round five shots adrift of joint overnight leaders Robert Allenby and Michael Sim, while Pampling was three shots off the pace.
But Fraser birdied six of his first eight holes to zoom to the outright lead, while Pampling joined him when he sank a long eagle putt on the par-five seventh.
It was a traumatic final day for tournament favorite Allenby, who came unstuck with a disastrous double-bogey at the par-three 15th and limped home with a one-over 73 and nine-under 279 in third place.
■ CASIO OPEN
AFP, KOCHI, JAPAN
Overnight leader Komei Oda of Japan shot an even-par 72 to keep the lead for his long-awaited career first victory at the Casio Open yesterday.
The 30-year-old, who turned professional in 2000, sank two birdies against two bogeys for a four-round total of 11-under 277.
His countryman Kenichi Kuboya finished three strokes behind in second place, followed by Shintaro Kai, Toru Suzuki and Hirofumi Miyase, who were tied for third place on 281.
■THAILAND MASTERS
AFP, BANGKOK
Danny Chia completed an impressive victory in the US$75,000 Mercedes-Benz Masters Thailand yesterday, giving himself a belated birthday present.
The Malaysian, who turned 36 on Saturday, fired a final round even-par 72 for a two stroke victory over compatriot S. Sivachandran and Thailand’s Nakul Vichitryuthasastr at The Vintage Club in Bangkok.
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