Emirates Australian Open special

Being the favourite in sport is one of the most difficult pressures to cope with, you have the obvious internal pressure to succeed but often when the expectation of the public and the media is that you succeed, it is extremely difficult to reach the expected standards. Adam Scott returned to Australia three weeks ago with a whole nation expecting him to sweep all before him as the first Australian to win The Masters and wear that famous green jacket.

At Royal Pines in Queensland he won the Australian PGA Championship by 4 strokes, he moved on to Royal Melbourne for a double-header. The Talisker Australian Masters and the ISPS Handa World Cup - he won the former by holding on to the lead in the face of a charging Matt Kuchar and finished 3rd in the latter to help his country to World Cup glory. So in three weeks back in his homeland he has won the Australian PGA, Australian Masters and the World Cup of Golf. He came to Royal Sydney with 2 legs of the Triple Crown in the bag and the pressure ratcheted up to its maximum as the eyes of the entire nation fix on The Masters champion in the Emirates Australian Open.

Far from showing signs of pressure Scott dismantled the Rose Bay layout recording a course record of 62, 10-under-par. He began with a truly amazing six consecutive birdies and ended with four in a row. It was an exhibition of sustained excellence and is the perfect platform to attack a second Australian Open title and clinch the Triple Crown.

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Before Scott teed off on Friday his lead had disappeared as the resurgent Rory McIlroy posted a 65 to tie the Aussie hero on -10. Scott got off to a difficult start but regrouped and recorded a 2-under-par 70 to take a 2 stroke lead over the former World Number One.

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Saturday promised to be a classic afternoon with the Masters champion Adam Scott and 2-time Major champion Rory McIlroy playing alongside one another in the third round of the Emirates Australian Open. McIlroy and Scott got off to the perfect start with birdies at the first hole, the stage was set for a classic encounter. The Ulsterman then stumbled with a bogey at the fourth and a double-bogey at the fifth, falling four shots behind the winner of the Australian PGA and Australian Masters. Scott further extended his advantage with birdies at 7, 8 and 9 to take a 6 stroke lead over McIlroy into the back nine.

A bogey for Scott and a birdie for McIlroy at the 10th saw the gap cut to 4, a gap which McIlroy reduced further with birdies at 13 and 14 but Scott countered with birdies at 14 and 18 to end the third round four clear and edge closer to an historic second Australian Open title and clinch the Triple Crown.

With Scott on -16 and McIlroy on -12, and the next best player -8 it is truly a clash of the titans for the Stonehaven Cup at Royal Sydney Golf Club this Sunday. With the golfing year winding down for Christmas this will be one of the last great battles of the year between two of the great golfers of a generation. It promises to be an Australian Open to remember.

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The Duel in the Sun may have a new rival for the greatest head-to-head battles in golf after the Emirates Australian Open concluded today. The Shoot-out in Sydney also took place over two days and saw two of the world's greatest talents thrill the large galleries with pure ball-striking and awesome driving, with history on the line and one of golf's great trophies up for grabs.

Starting with a four-stroke lead the home favourite Adam Scott was clearly set to win a second Australian Open and conclude the calendar year Australian Triple Crown, but a resurgent Rory McIlroy was never going to lay down and make it easy for The Masters champion. Scott made bogey at the first hole to reduce his advantage but immediately regained the 4-shot lead with a birdie at the par five second, it would remain the same until McIlroy caught fire on the par four fifth hole. A birdie there was followed by a typical McIlroy moment at the 7th, the kind of shot which emphasises his unique ability, a high floated long iron straight at the pin which landed softly on the down-slope and ran some 8 feet past the hole giving him an eagle chance.

A slight right to left break was navigated with ease as his ball found the centre of the cup and the deficit was down to 1 stroke. The former world number one would then draw level with the 33-year-old former champion with a birdie at the 8th and the atmosphere was ramped up. Scott then pulled ahead once more with a birdie at the 9th hole and the dream of a second Australian Open title was still alive. The pair then matched each other on the back nine, with pars at every hole aside from the par five 13th and despite missing several chances to extend his lead Scott took a 1 stroke advantage to the 72nd hole.

Playing a pair of 2-irons off the tee both Scott and McIlroy split the fairway and the Australian had the advantage of playing into the green before the Northern Irishman, an advantage he would not take. His wedge flew too far and took a hard bounce, the ball rolled off the back edge and down into a hollow some 20 yards from the hole. In contrast McIlroy played his ball to 15 feet short of the pin on the correct level, giving himself a last chance for birdie. A play-off loomed large.

Scott's dream began to turn into a nightmare with a poor pitch which flew too far and rolled to the front edge of the green on the lower level. 2 putts later The Australian PGA and Masters winner posted a bogey and a round of 71, a four-round total of 271 17-under-par.

This was McIlroy's moment.

A moment to end a 12-month winless drought which has seen him fall from number 1 to 6 on the world rankings.

"I just made my normal stroke, I didn't think about winning or anything" said the 2-time Major champion. The ball rolled into the middle of the hole and he lifted his arms in exaltation and sighed a huge sigh of relief, the toughest year of his stellar career was over, and so was Adam Scott's Triple Crown dream.


Adam Scott

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Total
Par	4	5	3	4	4	3	5	4	4	4	4	4	5	3	4	5	3	4	72
Rnd 4	5	4	3	4	4	3	5	4	3	4	4	4	4	3	4	5	3	5	71
Status	1	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	-1	-1	-1	-1	-2	-2	-2	-2	-2	-1	-1

Ace/Albatross

Eagle

Birdie

Par

Bogey

2+ Bogey

Rory McIlroy

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Total
Par	4	5	3	4	4	3	5	4	4	4	4	4	5	3	4	5	3	4	72
Rnd 4	4	5	3	4	3	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	4	3	4	5	3	3	66
Status	E	E	E	E	-1	-1	-3	-4	-4	-4	-4	-4	-5	-5	-5	-5	-5	-6	-6

Ace/Albatross

Eagle

Birdie

Par

Bogey

2+ Bogey

The commentators on Channel 7 could hardly hide their disappointment, despite the praise they gave McIlroy and Scott admitted that he was "gutted". Rory's victory has echoes of Lee Westwood's defeat of Greg Norman in 1997 at the Metropolitan Golf Club, Norman was bidding for a sixth title to tie Jack Nicklaus. McIlroy is the second European golfer of all-time, after Westwood, to win the Australian Open.

Earlier in the year at the Irish Open McIlroy admitted to feeling "lost" but the lost boy was found again on Sunday afternoon at Royal Sydney. The swagger, the strut and the ridiculous ball-striking was back and he was holing putts again. Something which has never changed in McIlroy is the humility, the class and dignity, even in defeat. He had this to say about the home favourite he had so dramatically defeated. “He's had a phenomenal year. Masters champion, he won one of the FedEx Cup play off events. He came down here to Australia, won the Aussie PGA and then the Aussie Masters. Then World Cup last week and here,” he said.

“He's a true gentleman and he's a credit to the game but he's also a credit to this country. I was just lucky to be able to come out on top today.”

This will go down as one of the most memorable Aussie Opens in recent times and maybe all-time, it was a classic featuring two of the star acts in golf today. It might not yet be back to where it was in the 1970's but the Australian Open is back as a significant tournament in the world game.