Chalmers wins in sudden-death

Greg Chalmers has won the Australian PGA Championship, beating Robert Allenby and Marcus Fraser in sudden-death playoff.

Teeing off on the final day of the Australian PGA Championship a Coolum, Greg Chalmers was five shots behind the leaders and by his own admission, too far behind to win.
“I was a little surprised that 12 under ended up getting into the playoff I thought at the time that would be a nice top three or five tournament.”
Chalmers found himself clubhouse leader early this afternoon with birdies on 16 and 17, followed by a great par-saving putt on the final hole to finish 12-under par for the tournament.
There was drama to come.

With international players KT Kim and Bubba Watson having days to forget, Robert Allenby popped in a  birdie putt from the back of the 18th green to tie Chalmers, and soon after Marcus Fraser nailed a bomb on the final hole to edge his way into the three-man playoff.
Going into sudden-death playoff on the 18th hole, Chalmers probably had less to prove than the other two golfers, and the ensuing golf proved it.
Marcus Fraser, having never quite secured a big tournament victory in Australia, looked a little nervous and he hooked his opening drive into the water. After a penalty drop, a remarkable three-wood found the back bunker for his third shot, but wasn’t able to make par. 
Robert Allenby was next off the tee and after a week at the Presidents Cup that had been criticised like a tax increase, he was probably the most determined to win. His drive was only marginally better than Fraser’s though. He sliced his tee shot and found himself in deep rough. He chipped out and found the green with his third but also wasn’t able to make the par putt.
Chalmers, who won the Australian Open a few weeks ago, looked the most composed. A solid drive was followed by an iron into the heart of the green for an easy two-putt par. The win secured two major Australian trophy’s for the Western Australian, and now finds himself back into the world’s top-100 golfers. Only three weeks ago, he was outside the world’s top-200.
“I used up a lot of emotion two weeks ago and today I was a little more comfortable and a little less stressed about it. I had to go out today and play aggressively as were I led for a long time with this, you know I didn’t really lead here until sort of with a hole or two to go, I was still trying to make birdies and really focused on hitting aggressive shots. It was a lot more difficult the Australian Open to do with pressure even with nine holes to go and with Tiger and company, and everybody around.”
Final Scores

1 Greg Chalmers -12
T2 Marcus Fraser -12
T2 Robert Allenby -12
T4 Adam Scott -10
T4 Aaron Baddeley -10
T6 Marc Leishman -9
T6 Nick O’Hern -9
T6 KIM KT   -9
T9 John Senden -8
T9 YANG Y-E -8
T9 Jason Day          -8
T12 Bubba Watson -7
T12 Brad Kennedy -7

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