SYDNEY — Joaquin Niemann mastered the Sydney winds to turn into the primary Chilean winner in 119 years of the Australian Open when he beat Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino in a playoff to raise the Stonehaven Cup on Sunday.
Niemann lipped out a 4-foot eagle putt on the primary playoff gap at No. 18 however made no mistake on the second, draining a barely longer eagle try so as to add a primary DP World Tour title to the 2 he has gained on the PGA circuit.
“It means quite a bit,” Niemann, who additionally certified for The Open, informed reporters. “This season wasn’t the very best for me. I wished to play extra golf. It was big to come back up right here and play good golf and get a consequence.”
South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai retained the title within the ladies’s Australian Open, which was performed in parallel on the identical course. She held off Australia’s Minjee Lee to win by a single stroke at 9 underneath regardless of capturing a 3-over 75.
In a wild closing spherical, Niemann shot a 5-under 66 to take the clubhouse lead. Hoshino joined him at 14 underneath when he accomplished a spherical of 70 some 90 minutes later.
Min Woo Lee, who beat Hoshino in a Sunday duel to win the Australian PGA Championship final week, got here up brief in his bid to go back-to-back after a 71 and needed to accept third place at 12 underneath.
In a single day storms cleared to make means for a vivid, sunny morning at The Australian Golf Membership, however the wind had already began constructing and elevated in velocity till it wreaked havoc with the native contenders.
Min Woo Lee, the youthful brother of Minjee, and Hoshino shared the in a single day lead and have been anticipated to reprise their duel, however Adam Scott and Lucas Herbert made early prices to share the lead.
Scott, the previous Masters champion, edged forward of the main pack along with his eighth birdie at his sixteenth gap, however his subsequent tee shot landed in an unplayable lie towards a fence and he took a triple-bogey.
Herbert additionally had a triple-bogey at No. 8 to tumble out of rivalry, leaving Niemann and Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick, brother of 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt, high of the leaderboard at 13 underneath.
Niemann had flirted with catastrophe on his first taking part in of No. 18 when his tee shot went into the gang and he needed to hearth an iron shot over diners earlier than strolling away with a sixth birdie.
“I did not know the place I used to be hitting, I did not know the place the water was, I did not know the place the bunker was,” Niemann mentioned. “As quickly as I hit it, I simply listened for the gang’s response. Thankfully it was good.”
Buhai began the day with a three-stroke lead over former world No. 1 Shin Ji-yai, and none of her rivals was capable of shut the hole even after she dropped three photographs on the again 9.
Minjee Lee, seven strokes again firstly of the day, bought inside a shot after Buhai went into the water on the seventeenth, however the 2022 Ladies’s British Open champion held her nerve to say the title with a par putt on the final.
“I am so proud to defend my title,” Buhai mentioned. “I knew they needed to come catch me, so I simply performed sensible golf. Many of the crowd have been supporting Minjee, nevertheless it was lots of enjoyable on the market.”
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