Davis wins Oz Open
Six birdies and eagle-2
AUSTRALIA’S Cameron Davis shot a brilliant final round of seven-under-par 64 to win the 102nd Australian Open after a wild finish to the tournament yesterday.
Regarded as one of Australia’s most promising young players, the 22-yearold charged home to beat his more experienced rivals and capture his first professional title.
With the blustery conditions testing the nerves and skill of all the players, Davis birdied the last hole to finish at 11-under-par and win by one stroke from Sweden’s Jonas Blixt and compatriot Matt Jones, the 2015 champion.
Cameron Smith, the only Australian to win on the PGA Tour this year, finished fourth at nine-under after closing with a 68, while overnight leader Jason Day faded to fifth at eight-under after shooting a 73.
In a thrilling final round which saw four different players hold the lead at various stages, Davis timed his run to perfection to claim victory.
Day led from the outset but slipped back down the leaderboard when he hit his second shot from a fairway bunker on the ninth hole into the water for a double bogey.
Day’s playing partner Lucas Herbert briefly took over as leader but made three bogeys and a double in his last 10 holes to fall out of contention and eventually finish tied for sixth.
Blixt recovered from a double bogey on the ninth to reel off four birdies in five holes and join Davis in a share of the lead, but missed a 15-foot putt on the last to force a playoff.
While his rivals all struggled in the wind, Davis made six birdies in his final round and a spectacular eagle-2 on the 12th, when he found the hole from the middle of the fairway.
Davis, the 2015 Australian Amateur champion, turned professional after helping his country win the Eisenhower Trophy last year. But he has been struggling to make his mark while playing on the Canadian PGA Tour. — AFP