Geoff Ogilvy. Photo / Getty Images
Geoff Ogilvy joined some of golf's all-time greats as an Australian Open winner at The Lakes with a steely final-round performance on Sunday.
Ogilvy carded a cool 3-under-par 69 to finish the championship at 19-under 269 - four shots clear of gallant Matt Jones and fellow Victorian Alistair Presnell.
Jones
put up a particularly stern challenge, collecting six birdies in a classy 68, but Ogilvy had all the answers, his fourth successive round in the 60s clinching the 33-year-old the coveted Stonehaven Cup for the first time.
Gareth Paddison was the best placed New Zealand finishing in ninth place at eight-under. Michael Campbell finished one shot behind in a share for 12th.
Ogilvy joined Jack Nicklaus (1964), Greg Norman (1980) and Steve Elkington (1992) as only the fourth player to win the Australian Open at The Lakes.
"It's pretty nice. This is the one we all want to win as Australians," Ogilvy said.
"I've been close at this one before so to come up here with a little bit of comfort over the last few holes is pretty nice.
"One of the goals we all have as a kid is to win this tournament."
And the 2006 US Open winner and two-times world matchplay champion did it in style.
Starting the day at 16-under after sizzling rounds of 68-65-67, Ogilvy added further birdies at the fourth, eighth, 13th and 14th holes.
In an astonishing display, Ogilvy had just two bogeys in his last 59 holes of the tournament.
Paired in the final group with Ogilvy but starting five strokes back, the 30-year-old Jones needed to apply pressure early.
And he did, turning in 31 - the second-best front-nine score of the tournament to close to within three strokes of the lead.
Ogilvy, though, kept keeping up with the Jones boy and when his nearest challenger bogeyed the penultimate hole, the championship was good as over.
Presnell never seriously threatened, starting too far back, but closed with a 67 to share second spot.
John Senden (69), the 2006 champion, and Jordan Sherratt (67) were joint fourth at 12-under, while five-times winner Norman (72) and defending champion Adam Scott (71) were equal 32nd.
- AAP
