ADRIAN MERONK FINISHED with an eagle to win the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in style on Sunday.
The Pole closed out his tournament with a sensational long-range eagle putt to finish 14-under-par for the tournament – five shots ahead of overnight leader Adam Scott.
Meronk, the reigning Irish Open champion, was cool, calm and collected amid the windy conditions in Melbourne, picking up four birdies en route to carding a four-under 66.
Despite taking the lead into Sunday, Scott was ultimately unable to repel Meronk’s challenge, sitting on even in the late stages until a double bogey on the 17th cruelled any hopes of eking out a victory on home soil.
Scott’s compatriot Min Woo Lee finished third on eight-under, while Ireland’s Conor Purcell signed off in a tie for seventh with an overall score of five-under. His 71 yesterday came after rounds of 68, 72 and 66 respectively.
The Portmarnock golfer takes home a cheque for over €28,000 after the biggest result of his career.
South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai won the concurrent women’s event and England’s Kipp Popert took out the Australian All Abilities Championship.
Elsewhere, Viktor Hovland closed in on a second straight Hero World Challenge title, firing a sizzling eight-under par 64 to push his lead to three strokes in the unofficial US PGA Tour event.
Norway’s Hovland, trying to join tournament host Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back winners of the 20-player invitational, had 54-hole total of 13-under par at the Albany course in the Bahamas.
World number two Scottie Scheffler, who could overtake Rory McIlroy atop the rankings with a victory, carded a six-under par 66 to stand alone in second on 206.
- You call follow the Hero World Challenge leaderboard here >
It was a further two strokes back to Americans Justin Thomas and Cameron Young, Thomas posting a 66 and Young a 68 as the winds that pushed up scores all week relented just a little.
Shane Lowry had a difficult Thursday and Friday, though did repair some damage on Saturday when his one-under 71 moved him up to 18th.
And Tom McKibbin is the pick of the Irish at the DP World Tour South Africa. The Holywood man has just finished his fourth round, shooting a 69 to sit on eight-under for the tournament.
The action is still ongoing, with home hero Thriston Lawrence the outright leader as things stand, on 21-under overall.
Gary Hurley finished with a round of 73, five-under in total, while John Murphy missed the cut.
- You can keep up to date with the DP World Tour Investec South African Open Championship here >
Additional reporting from – © AFP 2022
