Oliver Bekker made an outrageous par save at the last to land the Nexus Advisernet Bowra & O’Dea WA Open at Mount Lawley Golf Club.
The South African clinched a one-stroke victory over Victoria’s overnight leader Cam John on a whirlwind final day that saw the lead exchange hands numerous times on a cold, wet and blustery afternoon.
A fixture at the top of the leaderboard all day after three early birdies, Bekker kept his nose in front of the chasing pack with a clutch bogey putt on the 14th, but the drama really kicked in on the penultimate hole.
Despite pulling his tee shot on the treacherous par-three 17th, a lucky kick off the bank saw Bekker’s ball hop right and pull up just a few inches short of the hole.
The tap-in birdie moved Bekker to seven-under-par, but he almost contrived to throw his advantage away on the par-five 18th after coming up just short of the green with his approach.
Bekker’s decision to putt rather than chip almost backfired spectacularly, as his effort broke savagely left and ended up on the lip of the deep, left-hand bunker.
With no stance, he was forced to putt down a steep slope left-handed with the back of his flatstick and raced his birdie attempt a good 10 feet past.
Under immense pressure, his breaking par saver found the middle of the cup to preserve his narrow advantage, eliciting a roar of relief.
Cam John’s title challenge came up just short after a valiant display
Playing in the group behind, John pulled to within a shot of the lead with a birdie on 16, but a drive into the trees on 18 severely limited his chances of a grandstand finish.
A punch out was followed by a short iron to the back of the green and when John’s par putt refused to drop, the win was Bekker’s — along with a two-year exemption on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
After struggling with his game for the past few weeks, Bekker says his win was around such a challenging layout was as unexpected as it was welcome.
“This come so far out of left field,” he said. “I’ve missed the last six or seven cuts in a row, but I said to my wife, I feel like [my game’s] close and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m playing well one week. This was the week, apparently!
“This golf course is so unforgiving. You’ve got to play such conservative golf, even with wedges in hand from the middle of the fairway. It was a grind and I’m glad I could stick it out.”
Bekker joins illustrious countryman Gary Player as a WA Open champion at Mount Lawley, the nine-time Major winner having lifted the trophy here way back in 1956.
Close but no cigar for Leish
Headline act Marc Leishman was a factor throughout the day and made an early charge from three shots back to take a share of the lead heading into the back nine at -6 for the championship.
However, some uncharacteristic slips on the par-four 11th cost him dearly as he thinned a bunker shot over the green and failed to get up and down.
The resulting double bogey killed his momentum if not his chances, but a clutch birdie putt from 30 feet on 18 was ultimately only good enough for a share of third alongside Lachlan Barker and Nathan Barbieri, two back.
Marc Leishman put in a spirited showing in his first WA appearance for 20 years
Elsewhere, co-overnight leaders Haydn Barron and Jared Edwards were never firing on all cylinders and carded respective rounds of 73 and 73.
Barron shared T6th with fellow West Aussie Curtis Luck at -4, with Edwards in outright eighth a shot further back. WA’s Brady Watt (70) and Queenslander Anthony Quayle rounded out the top 10 at -2 for the championship.
View the final leaderboard here.
Farquharson wins Low Amateur chase
Seven amateurs made the cut this week, but it was Victoria’s Hamish Farquharson who led them home to land the Terry Gale Trophy.
After three rock-solid rounds of 72, Farquharson closed with a 71 to move to -1 for the championship and finish in 11th place – three strokes clear of WA state captain Connor Fewkes.
After starting the day just three strokes off the lead to earn a plum draw alongside Marc Leishman, Gosnells GC’s Josiah Edwards faded to an 80 to drop to T33rd.
Fellow WA state representatives Spencer Harrison (76) and Adam Baillie (73) finished at +7 and +8 respectively in T40th and 43rd position.
Vassiliadis takes All Abilities crown
In the concurrent WA Open All Abilities Championship for golfers with physical, mental or sensory impairments, South Australia’s George Vassiliadis reigned supreme after an excellent closing 81.
The 32-year-old, who had shared the lead after Saturday’s first round, accelerated away today to win by eight strokes from Mount Lawley’s Mark Mosbach.
GolfWA Chair Emma Elliott with Hamish Farquharson (left), Oliver Bekker and George Vassiliadis
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