Australian Open: Adam Scott’s chances of winning the Australian Open for a second time were dashed on Sunday at Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne’s “Sandbelt” by Polish pioneer Adrian Meronk, who finished with a five-stroke victory.
The first-ever dual-gender event saw South African Ashleigh Buhai win the women’s division by a stroke against South Korean Shin Jiyai, who missed a five-foot birdie putt that would have necessitated a playoff.
Men’s championship already secured, Meronk drained a 40-foot eagle putt from off the 18th green, drawing a thunderous cheer from the crowd.
When his ecstatic lover ran onto the green and leaped into his arms in celebration, the big Pole, who had just been his nation’s first champion on the European Tour, came dangerously close to being knocked over.
The 29-year-old Meronk, who fired a four-under 66 and was practically faultless on a difficult day, said, “To finish like that on the 18th hole, it’s incredible.”
“Being able to defeat [Scott] in the final group in front of large fans in Australia is just an awesome experience. He was always my role model growing up.”
He defeated an errant Scott in a Sunday shootout to finish with a 14-under total of 268 in the tournament co-sponsored by the DP World Tour of Europe.
The former world No. 1 Scott had been in prime position to win his nation’s most famous golf trophy, 13 years after winning his first at New South Wales Golf Club, with a one-stroke overnight lead over Meronk and large crowds in his favour.
But after two consecutive bogeys on the seventh hole, he fell three shots behind, and his tournament was over when he disastrously shanked from the 17th tee.
Scott’s double-bogey as a result of having to hit a temporary ball gave Meronk a three-stroke lead, which was more than enough in the end.
Meronk, who is already the first Pole to have won multiple European Tour championships, should be able to qualify for the Masters with the help of his improved ranking.
Along with fellow Australian Min Woo Lee, Alejandro Canizares of Spain, and Haydn Barron of Australia who tied for fourth on seven-under, all three players received exemptions to the British Open.
Young gun Grace Kim had moved into a share of the lead in the women’s competition with British Open champion Buhai in the final holes, but a double-bogey on the 18th hole dropped her to fourth on nine-under, three strokes behind the South African.
Buhai stumbled with bogeys on holes 14 and 16, but he recovered with a birdie on hole 17 to post a one-over 73 and a 12-under 277 tournament total.
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