ID :
34417
Sun, 12/07/2008 - 18:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/34417
The shortlink copeid
Ogilvy breaks his Australia PGA duck
(AAP) - Geoff Ogilvy doesn't have to answer THAT question any more.
One of the select Australian members of golf's "majors club" the 31-year-old Victorian finally took care of business, breaking his Australian tournament duck in style in the $1.5 million Australian PGA Championship at the Hyatt Coolum resort.
Ogilvy (67-71-67-69) showed his class under pressure producing a flawless bogey-free
final round to beat shattered Tasmanian Mathew Goggin (67-68-69-72) who stumbled
after leading by three shots eight holes into the final round.
Ogilvy collected the $270,000 winners' cheque and, almost as importantly, an escape
card from facing future questions about being a non-winner on home soil.
Despite beating Phil Mickelson to win the 2006 US Open, Ogilvy has been forced to
repeatedly defend his inability to win in a decade of trying at home.
Not any more.
That job will now be left up to Adam Scott, Australia's best performed golfer still
yet to win at home.
"Now Adam can answer them," grinned Ogilvy as he gazed at the names on the Joe
Kirkwood Cup.
"It's nice. I don't have to answer any more of those questions."
Ogilvy's young daughter Phoebe ran across the green and leapt into her dad's arms
after he dropped the winning putt.
Watching on full of pride were wife Juli and mother Judy, who walked the 72 holes,
and his father Michael, still recovering from a foot injury.
Goggin's family were also greenside to console him.
"It feels disappointing really," said Goggin whose championship challenge sank when
a badly hooked fairway wood found a watery home at the 15th hole.
"It was a stupid shot," lamented the 34-year-old who was runner-up in 2006.
"I had a great opportunity and just threw it away."
Goggin did his best to keep Ogilvy winless.
But in the end Ogilvy's patience and experience down the stretch proved the difference.
Ogilvy's aggressive approach to the pin to set up a key birdie at the 16th hole gave
him a two-shot lead.
But Goggin was not done with, knocking down his own birdie from two metres at the 17th.
"Geoff doesn't back down, he hits good quality, aggressive shots to win," said Goggin.
"I've seen him do it before and he did it again at the 16th."
Veteran Queenslander Peter Senior (70-67-71-69), who won the PGA in 2003, turned the
golfing clock back, climbing the leaderboard to get within two shots of Ogilvy late
in the day.
"I'm stoked," said the 49-year-old, setting himself for a tilt at the US Senior tour
next year.
"I felt the juices flowing down the stretch, I'm really excited about my game."
One of the select Australian members of golf's "majors club" the 31-year-old Victorian finally took care of business, breaking his Australian tournament duck in style in the $1.5 million Australian PGA Championship at the Hyatt Coolum resort.
Ogilvy (67-71-67-69) showed his class under pressure producing a flawless bogey-free
final round to beat shattered Tasmanian Mathew Goggin (67-68-69-72) who stumbled
after leading by three shots eight holes into the final round.
Ogilvy collected the $270,000 winners' cheque and, almost as importantly, an escape
card from facing future questions about being a non-winner on home soil.
Despite beating Phil Mickelson to win the 2006 US Open, Ogilvy has been forced to
repeatedly defend his inability to win in a decade of trying at home.
Not any more.
That job will now be left up to Adam Scott, Australia's best performed golfer still
yet to win at home.
"Now Adam can answer them," grinned Ogilvy as he gazed at the names on the Joe
Kirkwood Cup.
"It's nice. I don't have to answer any more of those questions."
Ogilvy's young daughter Phoebe ran across the green and leapt into her dad's arms
after he dropped the winning putt.
Watching on full of pride were wife Juli and mother Judy, who walked the 72 holes,
and his father Michael, still recovering from a foot injury.
Goggin's family were also greenside to console him.
"It feels disappointing really," said Goggin whose championship challenge sank when
a badly hooked fairway wood found a watery home at the 15th hole.
"It was a stupid shot," lamented the 34-year-old who was runner-up in 2006.
"I had a great opportunity and just threw it away."
Goggin did his best to keep Ogilvy winless.
But in the end Ogilvy's patience and experience down the stretch proved the difference.
Ogilvy's aggressive approach to the pin to set up a key birdie at the 16th hole gave
him a two-shot lead.
But Goggin was not done with, knocking down his own birdie from two metres at the 17th.
"Geoff doesn't back down, he hits good quality, aggressive shots to win," said Goggin.
"I've seen him do it before and he did it again at the 16th."
Veteran Queenslander Peter Senior (70-67-71-69), who won the PGA in 2003, turned the
golfing clock back, climbing the leaderboard to get within two shots of Ogilvy late
in the day.
"I'm stoked," said the 49-year-old, setting himself for a tilt at the US Senior tour
next year.
"I felt the juices flowing down the stretch, I'm really excited about my game."
