Golf Tips

Unsung Greg Chalmers was moved to tears after upstaging a star-studded cast including the resurgent Tiger Woods to join exalted company as a dual Australian Open golf champion on Sunday.

Chalmers resisted a stirring charge from Woods and held his breath as third-round leader John Senden narrowly missed forcing a play-off with a birdie at the last to place his name alongside some of the legends of the game as a multiple Open winner.

The 38-year-old left-hander’s steely three-under-par 69 for a 13-under 275 total earned Chalmers a one-stroke victory over Senden and $270,000 in prize money.

Unlucky for some, his sweet triumph came on the 13th day of the month and 13 years after he also won the Open at Royal Adelaide in 1998 the week before the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

In modern times, only Greg Norman (1980, 1985, 1987, 1995-96), Aaron Baddeley (1999-2000), Robert Allenby (1994, 2005) and Peter Lonard (2003-04) have won the Open more than once.

Golfing royals Jack Nicklaus, a six-times champion, and Gary Player, who reigned supreme on seven occasions, are other repeat champions in the tournament’s 107-year history.

‘I’ve got my name twice on the Stonehaven Cup and that’s phenomenal,’ Chalmers said.

‘To win it once, I can kind of stumble into that.

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SHANGHAI – Fredrik Jacobson is riding the momentum of last week’s third-place finish in Malaysia.

Jacobson shot a flawless six-under 66 Friday to extend his bogey-free streak to 29 holes and take the 36-hole lead at the WGC – HSBC Champions.

The Swede notched his first PGA Tour win earlier this year at the Travelers Championship, his first victory since three championships on the European Tour in 2003. He currently stands at 11-under 133, one shot better than former British Open champ Louis Oosthuizen and Adam Scott at Sheshan International Golf Club.

“I think I’ve just been striking the ball really well,” Jacobson said.

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Rory McIlroy fired a third round 65 today to open up a threestroke lead over American Anthony Kim at the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters.

Northern Ireland’s US Open champion, who shocked the golf world by changing management stables just over a week ago, stands 18 under par and bang on course for the record ё1.25million winner’s cheque.

McIlroy, trying to complete a wiretowire victory just as he did for his first major title in June, did not drop a stroke all day and turned in 32 with birdies at the first, third, seventh and ninth the hole he doublebogeyed in his second round 69.

The 22yearold world number three then picked up more shots at the 13th, 15th and 16th.

Kim, who failed to retain his Ryder Cup place last year after undergoing thumb surgery, matched McIlroy’s round, but made his final day task all the tougher by finishing with a bogey.

Twentyyearold Korean Noh Seungyul is in third place, but a 67 left him four back and there is then a further threestroke gap to England’s Ian Poulter, also round in 67.

World number two Lee Westwood produced only a 70 and alongside Australian Geoff Ogilvy in sixth place is now 11 adrift.

Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie and Paul Casey all disappointed with 73s.

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LUKE DONALD drew first blood yesterday in his ‘high noon’ showdown with Webb Simpson.

England’s World No 1 needs to win or, at worst, finish tied-second in the final event of the PGA Tour season to overtake Simpson and finish on top of the US Money List.

History beckons to Donald, runaway leader in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, as he bids to become the first player to win the ‘Order of Merit’ on both sides of the Atlantic in the same year.

It’s a big ask for Donald (33) to overcome the $363,029 lead held by Simpson, but he showed no hint of it yesterday as a faultless first-round 66 eased him two shots ahead of Simpson and into a share of the early clubhouse lead at the Children’s Charity Network Classic.

In fairness, Simpson also emerged bogey-free from his eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Donald on The Palm, the easier of the two Disney World resort courses in play this week.

The American’s added length is expected to give him a slight advantage when they play Magnolia today and for all 36 holes at the weekend.

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Unheralded American Billy Horschel surged into the lead after the second round of the McGladrey Classic in Georgia with an eagle and two birdies in his last four holes.

Horschel fired a six-under 64 on the par-70 Seaside course for a 36-hole total of 12-under 128.

Webb Simpson, chasing England’s Luke Donald for the US PGA Tour’s money title, nabbed a brace of late birdies for a share of second place.

Overnight co-leader Simpson, winner of two tournaments on the US tour this year, stayed in touch with a three-under 67 for 130, tied for second with Michael Thompson (65).

Nick O’Hern is the best placed Australian after shooting three under to leave him in a tie for fourth on eight under for the tournament.

Simpson said after the second round that he would play the PGA Tour’s final official tournament next week in Florida, where he could find himself in a battle with Donald for the season money crown.

World No.1 Donald, leading Simpson on top of the money list by $US68,971 ($A67,900), said earlier on Friday that he would add the Disney tournament to his schedule.

‘There was never really a decision to be made.

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