AUSTRALIAN GOLF
ISPS HANDA Australian Open
Internationals Clean Sweep Australian Open Titles
Poland’s Adrian Meronk, South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai and England’s Kipp Popert outlasted their respective fields during a hot, gusty final round at Victoria Golf Club to mark a historic ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
For the first time ever, the Men’s, the Women’s and the All Abilities Australian Opens were contested together celebrating the game’s inclusivity.
Meronk hoisted the Stonehaven Cup after becoming the first player to win the Australian Open from Poland. Buhai lifted the Patricia Bridges Bowl as the women’s champion when she overcame former event winner Jiyai Shin by one shot. And, world No. 1 Popert produced a sensational final round 3-under 69 in tough conditions to score his maiden All Abilities Championship.
Meronk had already enjoyed a breakthrough season before arriving to Melbourne’s Sandbelt this week. The 29-year-old made history in July when he became the first Pole to win on the European Tour at the Horizon Irish Open. The rising star began his Australian Open assault with a disappointing 3-over 73 on Thursday before moving into contention with rounds of 6-under 66 (Kingston Heath) and a brilliant 7-under 63 at Victoria Golf Club on Saturday. Playing with Australia’s Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee in the final group on Sunday, Meronk opened with back-to-back birdies at the first two holes and scored another birdie at the 9th hole to cover the front nine in three under. Scott, who started the final round with a one shot lead, stumbled on the outward nine holes with a one over tally and headed into the back nine three shots behind Meronk. Scott reduced the margin to two shots when he buried the only birdie by the men’s field at the difficult par 4, 12th hole. And, when Meronk made his first bogey for the day at the following hole to hold a narrow one-shot lead, it appeared Scott was in prime position to produce his second Australian Open victory. Despite the pro-Australian galleries support, the dream for a local winner disappeared when Scott drove his tee shot out of bounds at the 17th hole en route to a crippling double bogey. Meronk, who almost flawless on Sunday, made a stunning eagle at the final hole to reach 14-under for the event and win by five shots. Scott was solo second at 9-under. Lee signed for a final round 1-under 69 to take outright third place at 8-under. Spain’s Alejandro Canizares fired a remarkable 6-under 64 to get to 7-under and share fourth place with Australia’s Haydn Barron (70). Lee, Canizares and Barron earned a place in the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool as a result of finishing in the top-three players not already exempt.
Buhai, aged 33, began Sunday one shot behind Korea’s Jiyai Shin. Australia’s Hannah Green was another shot back. Buhai, who won her maiden major title in August at the AIG Women’s Open staged at Muirfield, Scotland, made a par at the 72nd hole to edge Shin by one shot. Buhai signed for a final round 1-over 73 to reach 12-under and become the first player since Yani Tseng in 2011 to win both the AIG Women’s Open and the Australian national title in the same year. Shin closed with a 3-over 75 to claim solo second place at 11-under. The 34-year-old former world No. 1 dropped five shots over the opening 13 holes before rallying with two late birdies at the 15th and 17th holes to be in the contest playing the final round. Shin was unable to force a playoff when her birdie attempt from inside eight feet at the 72nd hole missed the hole. Australians Green, Grace Kim and Minjee Lee took third, fourth and fifth place respectively. Green, closed with a 2-over 74 for a 10-under total. Kim, was in the mix for the title with one hole to play before a double bogey at the last hole derailed her chances. Kim shot an even par 72 for a 9-under tally and outright fourth place. Dual major winner Lee signed for a final round 1-under 71 to get to 8-under.
Popert, from Kent, overran Canada’s Kurtis Barkley after a stunning final round at Victoria Golf Club. The Englishman piled on three consecutive birdies at holes 7, 8 ad 9 to move clear of the field before closing with two birdies and one bogey for a 3-under 69 and a 2-under event tally. Barkley claimed solo second place at 5-over with Spain’s Juan Postigo one shot further back in outright third place. Geoff Nicholas was the best-placed Australian finishing in 7th place.
Final Scores
ISPS HANDA Australian Open
MEN
1. Adrian Meronk -14
2. Adam Scott -9
3. Min Woo Lee -8
T4. Alejandro Canizares -7
T4. Haydn Barron -7
WOMEN
1. Ashleigh Buhai -12
2. Jiyai Shin -11
3. Hannah Green -10
4. Grace Kim -9
5. Minjee Lee -8
ALL ABILITIES
1. Kipp Popert -2
2. Kurtis Barkley +5
3. Juan Postigo +6
T4. Mike Browne +13
T4. Brendan Lawlor +13
Photo credit: Golf Australia
