Golf:Greg Chalmers overcame Robert Allenby and Marcus Fraser in a play-off to add the Australian PGA Championship to his recent Australian Open win
The 38-year-old will now head to the Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne next month for the Australian Masters with the chance to match Allenby’s 2005 heroics when he won all three events.
The trio finished tied at 12 under par at Coolum and then had to wait more than 30 minutes for the final groups to complete their rounds.
It was Chalmers who showed the most composure at the 18th when he safely found the fairway with his tee shot before two-putting for par to win the title.
“I was surprised to see that par was good enough, I thought we were going to have to birdie this hole but that’s how it goes sometimes in play-offs,” Chalmers said.
“I felt fine on the tee shot but the putt was the hardest thing. This Australian PGA Championship has such a rich history and to have won it now, coupled with the Australian Open, I’m over the moon.”
Fraser dunked his tee shot in the water and eventually settled for a bogey after failing to chip in from the greenside bunker, while Allenby sent his drive way to the right, found the heart of the green with his third but was unable to sink a 12-foot putt for par.
On a final day when fortunes fluctuated wildly and overnight leader KT Kim, Matthew Giles and Aaron Baddeley all spent time at the top of the leaderboard, Chalmers produced an impressive 67 before prevailing in the play-off.
Allenby rolled in a long putt at the last for a 68 to ensure extra holes would be needed and then Fraser holed a monster effort to return a 69 and clinch his place in the play-off.
Kim had led by four shots after starting with four pars as playing partner Bubba Watson’s erratic double-bogey, bogey start dropped him down the field.
But when the South Korean suffered two unplayable lies at the fifth and went on to make double bogey, he suddenly found himself level with Giles and Baddeley, the latter eventually moving two clear as firstly Giles and then Kim both fell away.
There were further twists to come, though, as Baddeley faltered with a bogey at the 12th and was joined at 11-under by Chalmers and then Allenby before fading.
Chalmers went out in 35 with two birdies and a bogey and picked up further shots at the 10th, 12th, 16th and 17th to capitalise on his struggling rivals.
However, Allenby overcame two bogeys on the front nine to collect three birdies coming home while Fraser shrugged off bogeys at the first and 11th to make three critical birdies of his own in his last eight holes before the pair lost out on the first extra hole.
Pre-tournament favourite Adam Scott closed with a 68 to finish at 10-under, left to rue his wayward opening nine holes on Thursday.
Baddeley, who had vaulted to the top of the pile by holing his approach to seventh for an eagle, eventually carded a 72 to join Scott in fourth place.
