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Chalmers joins elite group with Open win

13th November, 2011
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Unsung Greg Chalmers was moved to tears after upstaging a star-studded cast including the resurgent Tiger Woods to join exalted company as a dual Australian Open golf champion on Sunday.

Chalmers resisted a stirring charge from Woods and held his breath as third-round leader John Senden narrowly missed forcing a play-off with a birdie at the last to place his name alongside some of the legends of the game as a multiple Open winner.

The 38-year-old left-hander’s steely three-under-par 69 for a 13-under 275 total earned Chalmers a one-stroke victory over Senden and $270,000 in prize money.

Unlucky for some, his sweet triumph came on the 13th day of the month and 13 years after he also won the Open at Royal Adelaide in 1998 the week before the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

In modern times, only Greg Norman (1980, 1985, 1987, 1995-96), Aaron Baddeley (1999-2000), Robert Allenby (1994, 2005) and Peter Lonard (2003-04) have won the Open more than once.

Golfing royals Jack Nicklaus, a six-times champion, and Gary Player, who reigned supreme on seven occasions, are other repeat champions in the tournament’s 107-year history.

“I’ve got my name twice on the Stonehaven Cup and that’s phenomenal,” Chalmers said.

“To win it once, I can kind of stumble into that. I can see how guys can do that, but to win it twice in this field – you can talk about Tiger, but I think it’s one of the strongest fields we’ve had in Australian golf for a long time.

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“So to go out there and get that done over the last two days, shoot eight under on the weekend, that does something for me. It really floats my boat.”

Senden, the 2006 champion, finished runner-up after rallying from a nightmare start to close with an even par 72.

He racked up four bogeys on the front nine, but fought back with four birdies coming home.

Woods finished outright third after an impressive 67, but must be lamenting his third-round 75 that left the 14-times major winner six shots off the pace.

Woods closed to within one stroke of the lead after thrilling his massive gallery with an eagle three on the 14th and then nabbing a birdie on No.17.

Chalmers, though, sealed the deal with a brilliant birdie on the 15th after knocking his approach shot to less than a metre.

Despite the hovering presence of Woods, the West Australian left-hander held on to turn the tables on the American superstar, who relegated Chalmers to runner-up when he claimed his last tournament win at the 2009 Australian Masters at Kingston Heath.

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The tournament boasted arguably the strongest field in its history and delivered a fabulous conclusion with a raft of big names thrusting themselves into back-nine contention on Sunday.

Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy sprang from nowhere to seize the clubhouse lead at one point after returning a cracking seven-under 65.

After flirting with the two-over cut line on Friday, Ogilvy eventually finished in a five-way tie for fourth place with 2009 winner Adam Scott (68), Australian No.1 Jason Day (74), American Nick Watney (72) and three-times runner-up Nick O’Hern (72).

Like Ogilvy, Scott stormed home, snaring his fourth eagle of the week, this one coming on the 14th, and a birdie on the 17th.

But Day, playing in the final group alongside Senden, faded after sharing the lead with Chalmers heading into the back nine.

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