Geoff Ogilvy can cross another accomplishment off his list—winning a golf tournament in his home country.
The 2006 U.S. Open champion won the Australian PGA by two strokes Sunday, closing with a 3-under-par 69 at the Hyatt Regency resort course. Third-round leader Mathew Goggin faded with three bogeys in seven holes and finished second after a 72.
“It has been a long time coming in Australia,” said Ogilvy, who turned professional in 1999. “Now Adam can answer them.”
Ogilvy was referring to Adam Scott, an Australian who hasn’t won at home despite a career-high ranking of No. 3 and 14 victories around the world. He had he had to pull out of this tournament after spraining knee while surfing.
Australians Peter Senior, Scott Strange and Rod Pampling tied for third at 11-under 277, three shots back. Senior and Strange had 69s Sunday and Pampling, who won last week’s Australian Masters, finished with a 72.
The 31-year-old Ogilvy also has wins in two World Golf Championship events— the 2006 match play and this year’s CA Championship. He also won the Chrysler Classic on the U.S. PGA tour in 2005.
Ogilvy said it’s difficult to win in Australia.
“There is an element where you’d think it would be easier because it is not a U.S. tour field—it’s a great field but there’s no Mickelson, Garcia and Woods and all that,” Ogilvy said.
“You’d say world rankingwise it might be bit easier but it’s not. We only get two or three chances a year versus 20-something chances a year in the U.S. And when we come back maybe we try too hard. It’s nice that I’ve done it, and I’d like to get a few more.”
Ogilvy only had one bogey on the weekend—his last was on the sixth hole in Saturday’s third round.
“I made a lot of good putts today and got up and down well when I missed a few greens,” he said.
His win was helped by a mid-round collapse by Goggin, who was trying for his first title in nearly 10 years. Goggin led by three strokes but bogeyed the ninth and 10th holes, allowing Ogilvy to pull into a share of the lead three holes later.
With a birdie on No. 17 cutting the lead to one, Goggin made it interesting on the water-lined 18th. But Ogilvy, with light rain falling and thunderstorms threatening, made a tap-in par while Goggin bogeyed.
“It was a great opportunity and I just threw it away,” Goggin said. “I feel like I’ve been through the whole gamut now, had a lead, had guys do things to me. I’ve experienced everything except winning again, and hopefully that’s the next thing.”
Goggin’s last two wins came on the secondary tour in the United States in 1999. He also won an Australasian PGA Tour event in 1998.
The Australian Open, the final event of the so-called Triple Crown of Australian golf, begins Thursday at Royal Sydney. John Daly is entered and will be trying to play all four rounds after missing the cut at the Australian Masters and PGA.
