MELBOURNE: Nick Cullen nervelessly struck a sublime bunker shot for a tap-in par putt on the last hole to win the Australian Masters by a stroke in Melbourne and frustrate Adam Scott’s bid for a hat-trick of titles yesterday.
Clinging to a one-stroke lead on the 18th, Cullen’s approach shot found a steep sand-trap left of the green, but the unheralded South Australian put his recovery within two feet of the hole to seal the biggest win of his career on a sun-drenched afternoon at Metropolitan Golf Club.
The bearded 30-year-old’s round of three-under 69 gave him a nine-under total of 279, one ahead of a trio of compatriots in world number two Scott (68), James Nitties (70) and Josh Younger (69).
Bidding for a record third successive win in the A $1m ($867,000) tournament, Scott birdied the 12th, 14th and 17th holes to push to eight-under but his monster birdie putt on the par-four 18th lipped out to the groans of a packed gallery, giving Cullen, four groups behind, vital breathing space.REUTERS
