New South Welshman Justin Warren put his WA PGA opposition to the sword in Sunday’s final round to claim victory on the spectacular Kalgoorlie golf course.
Twice a runner-up on tour, Warren was one of the overnight leaders, and birdied the second and third, then smacked a 200-meter three iron from the red dirt onto the par five sixth to set-up his two-shot winning margin.
He also birdied the ninth and 10th before parring in for a five-under 67 finishing 11 under.
Runner-up Daniel Gale, in his quirky yellow bucket hat, didn’t give up without a fight, and matched Warren’s birdie putts on the second and third, but couldn’t maintain the hot pace, closing with a 69.
He was one clear of Austin Gean, who graduated out of the tour’s US qualifying school.
Jasper Stubbs, who was out front early for a tournament-best 65, and Cottesloe’s former US Tour player Curtis Luck were the tournament’s top ranked putters.
On six-under and tied for sixth, were Blake Windred, Josh Armstrong and Adam Coull.
On five-under, tied for ninth, were Todd Sinott, Dylan Gardner, Lincoln Tigh and Wembley coach Brett Rumford.
The former European Tour winner was unsurprisingly the tournament’s top ranked short game exponent.
The Graham Marsh designed Kalgoorlie layout was again acclaimed, and was announced as tournament venue for the next 5 years. Focus now shifts to the WA Open starting at the new venue Secret Harbour on Thursday.+ Chasing his first US win in six years, Queenslander Adam Scott was only one off the lead with eight holes to go in the co-sanctioned Bay Current Classic in Yokohama.
But perhaps his 46-year-old legs tired, and he slumped to tied 13th, one shot behind Fremantle’s Min Woo Lee, whose five-under final round took him to tied ninth.
While the winner, the USA’s Michael Brennan, birdied the 11th and 12th, Scott bogied them, then double bogied the 13th-all with shots that went left.