Woods becomes Master of Oz in Melbourne

Tiger Woods fired a final round 68 to take the Australian Masters title by two from local hope Greg Chalmers in Melbourne.
To the delight of record crowds a Kingston Heath, the world No.1 opened his round with three birdies inside six holes and added two more at 12 and 15, leaving him on a total of 14-under par.
The only blemish on the American’s card came at the 13th where he blamed an overenthusiastic photographer for a wayward approach.
“Now I’ve won on every continent except Antartica,” said Woods, who was making his appearance in Austrlalia for 11 years.
“I just played very consistently. I wasn’t trying to be overly aggressive, just trying to plot my way along.”
Woods will add his seventh winner’s cheque of 2009 worth AUS $270,000 to his reported AUS $3million appearance fee, taking his season’s earnings to over US $10million in prize money alone.
Meanwhile, Scots Callum Macaulay, Andrew Coltart and Steven O’Hara were also in action Down Under in a last ditch attempt to retain their tour cards for next year. However, with Macaulay the highest finisher in joint 57th, the trio look set to enter the second stage of the qualifying school, which takes place next week.

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered