Greg Chalmers won the Australian Open by a shot from John Senden, with a charging Tiger Woods finishing two behind.
Senden pays for early bogeys, Woods puts together strong finish
Greg Chalmers earned a one-shot win at the Australian Open on Sunday, 13 years after his previous victory at the event.
The Sydney-born left-hander closed with a three-under 69 for a final total of 13-under-par, one better than overnight leader John Senden and two ahead of a charging Tiger Woods.
Chalmers birdied his opening two holes at the Lakes Golf Club and added a third at the seventh, immediately bouncing back from his first bogey at the previous hole.
Another dropped shot at the ninth meant he went to the turn in 34 but that was only a minor setback as two more birdies, including a tap-in clincher at the par-three 15th followed by three closing pars, ensured the 38-year-old walked away with the title in the city of his birth.
Senden, playing in the last group with Jason Day, needed to birdie the par-three 18th to force a play-off but his long putt for a two stayed above ground and he had to settle for par.
The damage, however, had been done on the front nine when Senden's run of four bogeys in five holes from the second saw him lose the lead to Chalmers.
He hauled himself back into contention with birdies at the 11th, 13th, 14th, and 17th but in the end his level-par 72 was just short of scripting a repeat of his 2006 victory in this event.
"I've got my name twice on the Stonehaven Cup, that's phenomenal," said Chalmers.
"It's one of the strongest fields we've had in Australian golf in a long time. But to go out there and get that done over the last two days and shoot eight under on the weekend, that does something to me, that really floats my boat.
"It's very exciting. Now I want to win three. That's just the nature of it."
Woods revival
Former world number one Woods, meanwhile, compiled a 67 including five birdies and an eagle to finish alone in third at 11-under-par.
Woods, searching for his first title for two years, had led the tournament at the halfway stage before falling off the pace with a third-round 75.
But the American finished strongly and now has plenty of positives to take into next week's Presidents Cup in Melbourne.
"I had a chance and I kept telling myself I need to post 13, 14 (under) to get it up there and see what happens," said Woods.
"If not for two holes on the back nine today - and I putted awful yesterday - I would have been right there."
"I was disappointed yesterday and found some of the old keys today.
"They were simple fixes, easy fixes. I had to reset my game and I hit the ball really good out there. Unfortunately I didn't post the number I wanted to post."
Another who will head to the Presidents Cup in good heart is Geoff Ogilvy after he produced the low round of the day on Sunday, a seven-under 65, to take a share of fourth alongside four others.
Ogilvy's fellow Australians Day (74), Nick O'Hern (72), Adam Scott (68), and American Nick Watney (72) all finished on nine-under-par overall.
