Queenslander Wayne Grady has won the Handa Australian Senior Open by one stroke over former Bonnie Doon club professional David Merriman at Concord Golf Club at the weekend. The pair carded final rounds of 73 to be the only players to finish sub-par in the 54-hole event.
Holding a one-stroke lead going into the final round, Grady immediately made his intentions clear with a birdie on the first, but with a strong breeze and fraying nerves, both players struggled to settle into the see-sawing contest.
A double bogey to Grady on the fifth gave his opponent the lead, but a critical slip-up by Merriman on the par-three ninth handed the lead straight back to the Queenslander.
After hitting into a greenside bunker, his caddy began to rake the sand before Merriman had played the ball, thus incurring a two-stroke penalty. It was a crucial turning point in an eventful final round.
At the end of a close back nine, Grady was faced with an eight-footer to win on the 18th green and the veteran made no mistake, draining the long putt for a memorable triumph and his first in the senior ranks.
Afterwards, the Queenslander expressed his relief at winning but also his sympathy for the runner-up, Merriman.
"It's been a long time since I've won a tournament. I was a little bit nervy but got the job done at the end of the day," he said.
"I would like to commiserate with David today, as much as I am happy to have won, David had a bit of misfortune on the ninth, not that I wanted to win that way, it's just one of those things that happen."
Merriman will now return to Europe for the Senior Tour Championship while Grady is gearing up for a summer of golf at home beginning with the Cadbury Schweppes Australian PGA Championship at the Hyatt Regency Coolum, 6-9 December.
In the Women’s World Legends Tour Open Championship, played concurrently to the men's Senior Open, American Rosie Jones scored a two-shot victory with rounds of 75, 68 and 71. Jones beat overnight leader Alicia Dibos also from the USA, while Australia’s Jan Stephenson finished in outright third, a further two shots back.