Scott captures 30th career win at Australian PGA

Australia’s Adam Scott is celebrating Christmas a few days early after sensationally capturing a second Australian PGA Championship on the Royal Pines course on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

Scott, 39, came from two shots back of the lead mid-round to stamp his enormous class in comfortably winning by two shots after posting a final round 69 for a 13-under par tally.

“I kind of grinded it out this week and I feel like I outsmarted the golf course a little bit, which feels good, and it was good enough to beat everyone,” said Scott.

“It’s been a long time between drinks for me and maybe only once or twice did the thought cross my mind that I’ll never win again. It feels very good to win here, especially to finish the year off kind of winning at home.”

Scott’s victory is his first in over three years while it is his sixth counting victory on the PGA Tour of Australasia, his 11th counting on the European Tour and his 30th worldwide success.

Adam Scott (Credit: PGA Australia)

If there was one hole all week key to Scott’s victory it was the par-5 15th with Scott eagling the hole on three occasions and there were none more important that the 10-foot putt for eagle in today’s final round that saw the Australian break-free of a log-jam atop of the leaderboard and go two shots clear.

Though if there a ‘par of the week’ for Scott it came at the par-5 12th hole on day four when his drive landed amid tree roots forcing him to take an ‘unplayable lie’ penalty and from where he managed to save par, and then proceed to birdie the 14th to get him back to a share of the lead before muscling his way two clear of his rivals at 15.

Over the four rounds Scott grabbed three eagles and 14 birdies while he had five bogeys, including dropping a shot at the 72nd hole along with the one double-bogey and that being on day one.

Victory will see Scott jump four places to end 2019 inside the top 15 and his highest ranking since June 2017.

Kiwi Mike Hendry was unlucky not to challenge Scott right until the end with two late bogeys wiping out the good work he did earlier in the round with six birdies between the 3rd and 16th holes today.

The New Zealander was forced to settle for outright second place on 11-under following his 69.

Cameron Davis, Min Woo Lee, Yuan Carl Yechun, Nick Flanagan and Wade Ormsby all had applied the pressure to Scott throughout the day but couldn’t quite get the job done and settled for a share of third place at 10-under.

With a European Tour card up for grabs there was plenty to play for and it showed. Despite Scott’s world ranking and superb winning resume, he was forced to work hard for his win today.