MEXICAN WAVES OFF HIS RIVALS
all week so I didn’t change anything off the tee.”
The bigger name players were nowhere to be seen on the last day at The Lakes so the battlers filled the void.
Dimitrios Papadatos overcame the embarrassment of four-putting the 14th hole to close with a 67 to finish outright second at 11-under while Jake McLeod carded a 66 to take third spot at 10-under.
That came with an added bonus as the top three all qualified for next year’s British Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
“That’s awesome. That just tops it off,” Papadatos said. “I was just happy to get in the clubhouse with a good score today and reap the benefits now.”
McLeod was unaware he had qualified for the British Open but said the key to his success was being able to forget the disappointment of being penalised a shot in his third round for taking too long to play a shot after his ball stopped on the lip of a hole before eventually dropping in.
“Not that I was blowing up or anything, but I sort of just had to get back to shot focus and stuff,” he said.
“I sort of got away from it a bit and a little bit frustrated when I found out I got a penalty.”
Australia’s top ranked player, Cameron Smith, saved his best for last, firing a 66 to finish tied for 10th, while the 2017 winner Cameron Davis plummeted down the leaderboard with a 75.
Matt Kuchar, who won in Mexico last week, and his fellow American Keegan Bradley also shot 75s so were never in contention as Ancer cruised to victory.
Despite his big lead, the Mexican still had cause to be anxious.
His only win as a professional had been in a lower tier event in Nova Scotia three years ago and questions were being asked about his ability to finish off tournaments after he blew two gold- en opportunities to win on the US PGA Tour when he led on the last day.
Ancer extended his lead to six strokes when he chipped in for birdie on the fourth hole with the best shot of the day and was seven ahead after adding two more birdies at the eighth and ninth.
His advantage was trimmed to four when he bogeyed the 12th but he regained the dropped shot when he drained a long birdie putt on the 14th.
The omens could be good for Ancer as the last two foreigners to win the Australian Open, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, both won majors the following year.
“I feel like this will give me some confidence for sure. I feel like I’ve been playing really good golf the last seven months but just haven’t been able to win a tournament,” he said. “But I feel like my game is there and hopefully it will help my career like it did for Spieth and McIlroy when they came to this event.”