Luke Donald is back ahead of Tiger Woods as World Number Two

Luke Donald is back ahead of Tiger Woods as World Number Two after a five stroke victory at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan.

Donald fired a closing 68 to finish the week 16 under par, with Japan's Hideki Matsuyama second after a 67 and compatriot Koumei Oda's 64 lifting him to third spot.

Four clear with a round to go, Donald's first win since the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in May never looked in doubt after he birdied the fourth, eagled the seventh and birdied the next.

He did bogey the next two, but then came seven pars and a birdie on the long 18th.

Afterwards Donald told his twitter followers: “Loved my week here in Japan - the Dunlop Phoenix is a great event, on a great course, great food, great beer....it's just great!”

Adam Scott edged out playing partner Ian Poulter

Adam Scott edged out playing partner Ian Poulter in a final day shootout to break a 15-month tournament drought and claim his first gold jacket at the Australian Masters in Melbourne.

Scott took on one of the fiercest competitors in world golf and beat him at Kingston Heath, with the World Number Five overturning a one shot deficit on the final day to win by four strokes at 17 under par.

The Australian's final round score of 67 was five shots better than Poulter's, with the pair finishing well clear of the rest of the field.

New Zealanders Gareth Paddison and Mark Brown had a close battle for third place, but had to settle for a share of the spoils some eight shots behind Scott.

Scott and Poulter went shot for shot over the first 11 holes, but the Englishman made bad mistakes on the two par fives on the way home that ultimately led to his downfall.

Poulter opted for a hybrid out of a fairway bunker at the 12th and could only move the ball forward 20 metres into more sand, before finding a greenside trap with his approach shot and settling for a bogey.

That put him two behind Scott and when he shot over the back and failed to get up-and-down at the 14th, the Australian's advantage was out to three.

Scott only had to make pars over the concluding stages to hold on and he did so with relative ease, before holing a birdie putt on the last to hammer the final nail into Poulter's coffin.

He did receive a minor scare when his playing partner birdied the tough par four 16th to get back within two, but Poulter inexplicably missed a simple two foot putt on the 17th green to give that shot back and put the result beyond doubt.

Such an anti-climatic finish seemed nigh-on impossible earlier in the day as the duo battled back and forth for supremacy over the front nine in a final-round pairing that felt more like a matchplay event.

Scott made a brilliant birdie-birdie start to go from one behind Poulter to one in front, but the Englishman fought straight back.

His approach at the third was stone-dead as he tapped in for birdie to tie it up, before edging one clear yet again when Scott failed to get up-and-down from a tough bunker at the fourth.

Scott then made three consecutive birdies starting at the sixth, with the pick of those coming at the par four seventh when he rolled in a long putt for three to match Poulter's tap-in birdie and then cheekily mocked the Englishman's reaction from yesterday when he did the same thing to the Australian.

The pair shared birdies at the short par three eighth and, as the wind increased later in the day, so did their scores.

However, Scott remained steady on the way home, with Poulter's meltdown on the two longest holes on the course proving the difference between the two players.

Queenslander Adam Crawford shot the best round of the day, with his 65 catapulting him up the leaderboard to finish in fifth at six under, while Peter Senior and Michael Hendry were a further two shots back in a share of sixth.

There were no final-round heroics from Graeme McDowell, as the Northern Irishman and third-highest ranked player in the field could only close with a 71.

That was good enough for him to share eighth spot with David Bransdon at two under.

Australian Masters looks likely to be between

The race for the gold jacket at the Australian Masters looks likely to be between the tournament’s two biggest names after Ian Poulter and Adam Scott stamped their authority on the tournament with superb third rounds at Kingston Heath in Melbourne.

Poulter fired off a brilliant 64 to be 13 under overall and will head into the final day with a slender one stroke advantage over Scott.

Scott's up-and-down round of 67 was not as flashy as Poulter's but it was good enough to keep him within striking distance and some five shots clear of third-placed Matthew Guyatt.

Guyatt could only manage a 75 on Saturday and is at seven under, while Kiwi Mark Brown is alone in fourth a shot further back.

The rest are too far back, although Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell picked up seven birdies when out nice and early on Saturday to fire a five under 67.

That score was easily the World Number 24's best of the week and was good enough to move him into a share of 13th place at one under overall.

Brown matched that score later in the day, but the two stars on show were Scott and Poulter.

Playing in the penultimate group of the day, Poulter and Scott matched each other for the majority of the round through two distinctly different looks and playing styles.

Poulter was dressed boldly in red and often cautious off the tee, while Scott was more conservatively clothed in a grey sweater and often outdriving the Englishman by over 50 metres on some holes.

The two contrasting styles were obvious to all following the marquee group and none more so than on the relatively short par four seventh.

Scott boomed his drive just a lob wedge away from the green and tapped in for his three after his approach shot stopped within a couple of feet from the hole, while Poulter made his birdie the hard way.

He had to rely on a putt from just off the green rolling in after his long iron failed to make the putting surface from quite some distance out.

The Englishman cheekily smiled at his playing partner once the ball hit the bottom of the cup as Poulter took a share of the lead for the first time during his round.

Scott joined Poulter and Guyatt out in front at the eighth when he made his third consecutive birdie, but from that point on there were only two players in contention.

It was a case of 'anything you can do, I can do better' for Scott and Poulter, with the pair going head-to-head on the inward nine and producing some outstanding golf.

They picked up another four birdies apiece on the way home and none more impressive than when they made a mockery of the short and tricky par three 15th by making a pair of twos with relative ease.

A hole later they both dropped a stroke - it was to be Poulter's only blemish for the day - and, when Scott could not get up-and-down from the back of the 17th and had to settle for a bogey, the defending champion was out in front on his own yet again.

The duo then birdied the last in style to complete the day's showdown and will once again go head-to-head on Sunday when the winner will be crowned.

Keegan Bradley pips Jim Furyk to Bridgestone Invitational

Keegan Bradley hit back from six shots down with just 13 holes to play to beat fellow American Jim Furyk to the Bridgestone Invitational title.

Furyk was one in front with one to play, but double bogeyed the 18th to lose the tournament in Ohio by one.

Bradley, 26, then bunkered on his approach to the 18th but still made the putt for par and a final round of 64.

Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy were the best-placed Britons finishing level on eight under par.

The win for Bradley, who defends his USPGA title next week, all but wrapped up a spot on the Ryder Cup team.

Furyk on the other hand was bidding for his first PGA Tour title in two years.

Tiger Woods was also in action and was in good form on the final day, ahead of next week's PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

He failed to break par in the first two rounds but the world number two signed off with a four-under-par 66, on a day where nearly three hours were lost to a violent thunderstorm.

"I played well today," Woods told reporters. "I hit a lot of good shots and never really sniffed making a bogey all day. So that was a good day."

BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL

• -13: K Bradley (US)
 
• -12: S Striker, J Furyk (both US)
 
• -11: Louis Oosthuizen (RSA)
 
• -8: J Rose (Eng), R McIlroy (NI)

South African Louis Oosthuizen goes into the final round

South African Louis Oosthuizen goes into the final round of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational only one behind American Jim Furyk.

A third round 68 saw the former Open Champion move to ten under par at Firestone, and with Furyk following rounds of 63 and 66 with a level par 70, the race is well and truly on in Akron Ohio.

Oosthuizen plans to take the fight to Furyk in the final round, where tee times have been moved forward due to forecast thunderstorms, with Ernie Els’ Open Championship victory two weeks ago providing inspiration.

“I think the one thing it showed that you never give up,” Oosthuizen said of Els’ win at Royal Lytham & St Annes, where his compatriot came from four behind on the back nine. 

“You never know what's going to happen in this game. I would have loved to have stayed, but afterwards I had to leave. I didn't really think that he was going to win it - I think no one did. 

“It just showed you he didn't give up at all. He played really well that back nine, made birdies where all of us made bogeys. He just hung in there, and he putted beautifully.”

Of his performance today Oosthuizen added: “The front nine was rough. I just had to try to make pars, and made a silly bogey on eight, got the lie completely wrong, ended up 20 yards short of the green.

“But I felt like I hung in there pretty well, and a few opportunities for birdies I didn't make, but I started hitting the ball really well on the back nine.”

Keegan Bradley moved into third on seven under with a 67 a week before he defends his US PGA Championship title, with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and another American in Steve Stricker a shot further back.

An early birdie at the long second was as good as it got for Furyk, and although he only dropped one shot all day – that came at the par three 12th – his lack of progress opened the door slightly for the chasing pack.

Nobody took advantage more than Oosthuizen, the Masters Tournament runner-up responding to a bogey at the eighth with birdies at the ninth, 12th and 16th.

“I think the golf course definitely played tougher today,” said Furyk. “We had a little bit more wind going on, the greens firmed up a little bit, and I just felt like it was a lot harder to get iron shots close to the pin.  

“I thought I hit pretty good. I didn't have as many opportunities, kind of ground it out today and went out a little shaky with the putter missing the good birdie opportunities at three and five, but felt like from that point on hit a lot of good, solid putts and made a couple of good putts. 

“I’m really happy with the way I stroked the ball and pretty pleased with the way I played today.” 

It was a tough day for Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello. Two behind overnight in second place, the Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner ran up three double bogeys in a 77 and slipped out of the top ten.

A second consecutive 67 saw Rory McIlroy

A second consecutive 67 saw Rory McIlroy climb into contention on a windy Moving Day at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

As Jim Furyk maintained his overnight lead with a level par 70, World Number Three McIlroy put himself within five shots of the American with 18 holes to play thanks to a round that featured four birdies and just the one bogey.

McIlroy made back-to-back birdies on the second two holes of the day before impressive par saves on the fourth, fifth and sixth were consolidated by a third birdie of the day at the ninth to turn in 32 blows, while the Northern Irishman’s only dropped shot of the day came at the par four 11th.

After making birdie at the 667-yard 16th to go back to three under par, McIlroy missed a good chance for birdie at the 17th but was happy to escape with par at the last after his approach came up short.

“My confidence is getting there, it definitely is,” said McIlroy. “I've worked hard to get it back.  The last few weeks have been tough and obviously my expectations every time I tee it up are pretty high; it’s not nice living up to my own expectations but I feel like I'm definitely moving in the right direction.

With so many victors coming from behind to win this year, the 23 year old knows he is still in with a realistic chance of overhauling the field on Sunday.

He said: “Obviously it depends how far Furyk is ahead of the rest of the field but if I can go ahead and shoot a good one tomorrow and post a good finish or if I go ahead and get off to a really fast start and get myself right in there with a chance, then there's no better way to prepare for next week.”

Vying to win his second World Golf Championship in succession after triumphing at March’s WGC-Cadillac Championship in Florida, Justin Rose is a further shot back at five under par with 18 holes to play after signing for a four under par 66 on Saturday, and despite making bogey at the 18th the Englishman was satisfied with his progress.

“I nearly kept a clean sheet today which would have been impressive because it's definitely windy out there, and on this golf course you don't get away with all that much,” said the 32 year old. “I had sand wedge in my hand there on 18 and it hit the bank and sucked back off the green.  It’s very difficult to know which greens are firm, which are soft at the moment.

“But all in all I’m really happy; I'm beginning to score, which is nice.  I feel like of late I haven't been making that many putts but I've been seeing a few go in the hole this week. It looks like tomorrow is going to be a little rough weather wise so who knows.”

Louis wins again in Africa

Louis Oosthuizen began The 2012 Race to Dubai in style as he successfully defended his Africa Open title at East London Golf Club.

The South African won on home soil for the second year running with a closing 67 to hold off the challenge of compatriots Tjaart Van der Walt and Retief Goosen.

The former Open Champion held firm on the back nine as his playing partners struggled for birdies, Oosthuizen running out a two shot winner on 27 under par.

Van der Walt finished second after a closing 69, with Goosen carding the same score for third – the two-time US Open Champion’s challenge coming undone when he took three from the edge of the green at the par three tenth.

“It was a real dogfight for most of the day,” said Oosthuizen. “I remember watching Tjaart when I was an amateur, and it was just great seeing him play to his potential today. 

“He played really well. He’s one of those who won’t go away. He’s not going to mess it up – he’s too consistent for that.

Oosthuizen was by far the most aggressive player in the final group, and asked about his decision to try and drive the greens on the shorter par fours said: “On six, I go for that green every time, so to me it was a good driver today with the wind into me.”

Oosthuizen and Van der Walt were tied for the lead overnight, and it was the latter who started best despite the pressure of playing in the final grouping alongside two Major Champions.

The 37 year old – who remains without a title in his 15-year career - birdied the first from ten feet, sunk a 15 footer at the next, and was left with a tap-in for a hattrick of gains at the par five third.

Oosthuizen birdied the first, bogeyed the second, then rolled in a 15 foot eagle putt at the next.

Goosen, himself without a European tour title for five years, holed a 20 foot eagle putt of his own at the third, and with a birdie on the opening hole had joined Oosthuizen on 23 under par.

Oosthuizen missed a three foot putt at the fifth and bogeyed, but it proved to be his last error and the 29 year old responded with three birdies in four holes to turn in 33. 

First he drove the green at the par four sixth, then pitched to five feet at the seventh and holed a 20 footer at the ninth.

That left him level with Van der Walt, who struck his approach at the eighth to three feet.

Oosthuizen and Van der Walt both looked to be in trouble at the tenth when they missed the green, but while they got up-and-down from unlikely locations, Goosen took three from the fringe and never got back into the contest from three behind.

A huge drive at the 11th set up Oosthuizen for a two-putt birdie on the 11th, and a 30 foot birdie at the penultimate hole all but sealed a victory that was confirmed when he got up-and-down from the back of the 18th green for par.

Japanese legend Sugihara dies at 74

Japanese golf legend Teruo Sugihara died Wednesday after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer, according to AFP. He was 74.

In a career spanning a half-century, Sugihara amassed 63 worldwide wins. He turned pro in 1957 and captured the Japan Open in 1962 for his first win. He has the sixth highest win total in Japan Tour history.

In 2006, he became the oldest man to make a cut in a Japan Tour event when he made the cut at the Tsuruya Open at 68 years, 10 months.

Known as "Viper" for his tenacity, Sugihara continued to play in Japan after his initial diagnosis in 1997 until retirement from full-time competition in 2009. His final tournament appearance came in the 2010 Mizuno Open.

After 51 consecutive appearances at The Crowns, Sugihara was unable to play this year.

Sugihara penned a regular newspaper column in Japan, but signed off on Nov. 9 by saying, "It's too much to bear it (cancer) and my condition forces me to say, 'I'd rather be dead.'"

Isao Aoki, a contemporary of Sugihara, expressed his condolences.

"Mr. Sugihara taught me the rigors of golf since I was young," said Aoki. "It is really regretful that we have lost Mr. Sugihara, the most senior active player in golf."

PGA Golf and Luke Donald: Is Winning Majors More Important Than Consistency?

Luke Donald had one of the best seasons on record since Tiger Woods completely dominated the PGA Tour during the 2000-2001 seasons.

In 2011, Luke had two wins, two second-place and two third-place finishes, with 14 Top 10s and 16 Top 25s in 19 starts on the PGA Tour. 

Throw in another two wins and 10 Top 10s in 13 events played on the European Tour, and it all adds up to a phenomenal year and over $14 million in pocket change.

He won the WGC-Accenture Match Play in February against a field that included the top 64 golfers in the world.  One of his second-place finishes was recorded at the WGC-Bridgestone—another elite field. 

He finished T4 at the Masters and the Players tournaments, which both feature tough golf courses and high-class fields.  The Players especially may have the toughest field of any event. 

His second win on the PGA Tour came at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals tournament at Disney at the end of October.  It was a tournament he was not scheduled to play, but had to add at the last minute to fend off Webb Simpson’s attack on the PGA Tour Money Title. 

Donald had to win the first-place check to overtake Simpson. 

The win at Disney also secured PGA Tour Player of the Year honors for him.

Luke returned home to Chicago for a little R&R in November, and had to deal with the death of his father just a few days before the birth of his second child.  Does that sound like a restful month to you?

While Luke had his sticks in the garage, Rory McIlroy had a T4 at the WGC-HSBC Champions in November and a win in Hong Kong in December to creep within $600,000 for the European Tour’s Race to Dubai. 

A win for Rory at the Dubai World Championship would take the European Tour’s money title from Luke’s grasp after he had led the Race to Dubai for the entire year.

After the family matters were handled in November, Luke jumped on a plane, hopped over to South Africa, knocked the rust off of his clubs in a warm-up event and then jetted up to Dubai for the showdown with McIlroy.

Rory eventually faded and finished in 11th place in Dubai.  Too much travel, plus a case of the rare Dengue Fever slowed him down. 

Luke finished third in Dubai and captured the Race to Dubai, making him the first player to officially win the money titles on both the PGA and European Tours in the same year.

Given the enormous amount of travel to compete around the world on both tours, deal with the death of his father and the birth of a child—plus hold off stout challenges to his goal of winning the money titles—Luke Donald had one of the best golf years on record. 

Four wins and 20 Top 10s in 26 worldwide events, against the best players at every stop, is nearly impossible to imagine.

I don’t care if he didn’t win a major. 

To win a major you need to be the best for one week.  Luke was the best from February to December.  He is No. 1 on the PGA Tour, No. 1 on the European Tour and deservedly No. 1 on the Official World Golf Rankings. 

I will take “consistency” over “flash” every time.

Congratulations, Luke Donald, on one of the best years ever in Golf.

Tom Lewis, who made history in October by winning on his third professional start on The European Tour, today followed in the footsteps of his home club’s most famous figure, Sir Nick Faldo, by being named as The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year for 2011.

The 20 year old Englishman from Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire claimed the prestigious award 34 years after six-time Major Champion Faldo also received the accolade before going on to become the most successful English golfer of all time.

“I appreciate this honour very much. It certainly tops off what has been an amazing year,” said Lewis, speaking from the sunshine island of Mauritius where he took  part in the Mauritius Open.

“I think my dad is more excited about me winning this award than my first Tour victory in October! I am very proud to be named The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year and I feel very fortunate as there were some strong contenders for this title who played consistently well all season.”

Lewis, who shot to prominence with his opening 65 in this year’s Open Championship at Royal St. George’s – the lowest round by an amateur in The Open’s history and one which gave him a share of the lead – produced the same score in the final round of the Portugal Masters three months later to win on his third professional outing, the quickest victory by an Affiliate Member in Tour history.

In between those historic rounds, Lewis played his part of the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup side’s victory over the United States at Royal Aberdeen before joining the professional ranks and producing a top-ten finish in his first event, the Austrian GolfOpen presented by Lyoness.

He then finished 70th in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship before going on to record his maiden success in Portugal which set up the platform for a final placing of 66th in The Race to Dubai with earnings of €459,266.

To put the achievement in perspective, Tiger Woods required five tournaments to land his first professional title, while Rory McIlroy did not taste success until his 38th European Tour event.

Lewis paid tribute to his father and coach, Brian, a former Tour professional, who has been an influential presence during his son’s rise through the amateur game into the professional ranks.

“I might not even have been a golfer if it wasn’t for dad, but he has definitely made me into the golfer I’ve become. He is really the person who made this possible.

“It’s been a rollercoaster year. I didn’t perform very well in the first half then had the honour of playing with Tom Watson in the first two rounds of The Open, managing to share the first round lead. It was wonderful to win the Silver Medal and shoot 65 in the first round, but I think people will remember the 65 in Portugal because it secured my first professional win.

“It only really hit me when I arrived at the airport to fly home when everybody was saying ‘well done’. It was something I could scarcely have believed at the start of the season. It was a great year and a privilege to be part of the winning Walker Cup team in my final amateur event. But now I have a two year exemption on The European Tour and can’t wait to get started in 2012.”

Lewis was the choice of a panel comprising The R&A, The European Tour and the Association of Golf Writers, ahead of several strong candidates from the 2010 Challenge Tour including Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen and Scott Jamieson of Scotland, who both finished ahead of Lewis in The Race to Dubai having qualified for the season-ending Dubai World Championship presented by DP World.

Olesen enjoyed three joint second place finishes in accumulating €637,703 to finish 48th in The Race to Dubai, while Jamieson shared third place on three occasions to finish the year with earnings of €523,754 and 59th place in The Race to Dubai.

Lewis is the 47th recipient of The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award, stretching back to 1960, and the 22nd Englishman, following several illustrious fellow countrymen including the aforementioned Faldo, Tony Jacklin, Peter Oosterhuis, Mark James, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey. Chris Wood was the last English winner in 2009 while Lewis succeeds 2010 winner, Italian teenager Matteo Manassero.

Golf-Tantrum helps Ogilvy find putting groove in Melbourne

Dec 17 (Reuters) - Geoff Ogilvy has rarely been known for losing control of his emotions, but credited an "embarrassing" loss of temper for helping him charge into the lead of his home Australian Masters after the third round on Saturday.

The former U.S. Open champion cut a frustrated figure on his home course at Victoria Golf Club during Thursday's opening round, and his putter was the first casualty.

Slamming it into his bag after a bogey late in his first round of level-par 71, he discovered the putter was bent out of shape, forcing him to putt the last two holes with a wedge.

"You don't like doing stuff like that. It's not the first time I have bent a putter," Ogilvy told reporters after taking a two-stroke lead over Britain's Ian Poulter with a course-record equalling 63.

"It's not very nice to get yourself into that frustration, if you like. More than that, it's kind of embarrassing to finish the last couple of holes putting with a wedge or putting with something other than your putter.

"But it happens. Golf is a frustrating game."

The replacement mallet putter, one he had been previously too scared to use, proved an unlikely panacea as it pulled him back in contention with a second-round 66 and propelled him into a winning position on Saturday.

"I have travelled with this putter actually for, I don't know, three or four months. I've just had it in the bag," the moustachioed Ogilvy told reporters after his nine-birdie, one-eagle round.

"I took it out on a practice round in the Australian Open because I wanted to use it, and wasn't brave enough and put it back in.

"Obviously this week I had a perfect opportunity to try it yesterday and today. So it's obviously gone very well.

"I don't think any putter is any better than any other putter... but I think you get bored of looking at the same thing. Your brain likes to look at something new."

Ogilvy stands on the brink of a drought-breaking victory in front of home fans after a winless year of frustration on the U.S. Tour, marred by successive injuries.

Victory will be all the more sweet for the 34-year-old Australian, who will fight with Poulter at the course where he has been a member since his junior days.

Hennie Otto wins South African Open title

Hennie Otto survived a nerve-wracking final few holes to win his home South African Open by one shot at Serengeti Golf Club in Ekurhuleni.

Otto, 35, shot 72 to end 14 under, one clear of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger with England's Richard McEvoy tied third.

Wiesberger and McEvoy both shot 68, while South Africans Ockie Strydom and Thomas Aiken were 11 under with McEvoy.

Retief Goosen ended 10 under, with defending champion Ernie Els 69th after a 79 for five over.

Otto, who led by three strokes overnight, was still three clear with six holes to play, but fell back into a tie with bogeys at the 13th, 15th and long 16th.

But he chipped to six feet and birdied the 375-yard 17th, and then parred the last to add the title to last week's tied seventh in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.

Otto, whose only previous European Tour win was at the 2008 Italian Open, will now play in the lucrative season-ending Dubai World Championship, having moved to 56th on the money list.

"There are some great names on the trophy and I said it would be great if I could add mine. Today's the day," said Otto, after the win on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

He is the sixth South African to win on the European circuit this season, following Els, Aiken, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel (2) and Garth Mulroy.

Scotland's Lloyd Saltman finished nine under with England's Richard Bland eight under and Scotland's Peter Whiteford seven under.

The contest, the second oldest national championship after the Open, turns 101 this year.

Notably absent from the tournament were locals and major winners Oosthuizen and Schwartzel, who were competing at the Mission Hills World Cup in China.

Australian PGA Championship

Greg Chalmers overcame Robert Allenby and Marcus Fraser in a play-off to add the Australian PGA Championship to his recent Australian Open win.

The 38 year old, who took the Stonehaven Cup for a second time a fortnight ago, will now head to the Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne next month for the Australian Masters with the chance to match Allenby's 2005 heroics when he won all three events.

The trio finished tied at 12 under par at Coolum and then had to wait more than 30 minutes for the final groups to complete their rounds.

It was Chalmers who showed the most composure at the 18th when he safely found the fairway with his tee shot before two-putting for par to take the Joe Kirkwood Cup.

"I was surprised to see that par was good enough, I thought we were going to have to birdie this hole but that's how it goes sometimes in play-offs," Chalmers said.

"I felt fine on the tee shot but the putt was the hardest thing.

"This Australian PGA Championship has such a rich history and to have won it now, coupled with the Australian Open, I'm over the moon."

Fraser dunked his tee shot in the water and eventually settled for a bogey after failing to chip in from the greenside bunker, while Allenby sent his drive way to the right, found the heart of the green with his third but was unable to sink a 12 foot putt for par.

On a final day when fortunes fluctuated wildly and overnight leader Kim Kyung-tae, Matthew Giles and Aaron Baddeley all spent time at the top of the leaderboard, Chalmers produced an impressive 67 before prevailing in the play-off.

Allenby rolled in a long putt at the last for a 68 to ensure extra holes would be needed and then Fraser holed a monster effort to return a 69 and clinch his place in the play-off.

Kim had led by four shots after starting with four pars as playing partner Bubba Watson's erratic double-bogey, bogey start dropped him down the field.

But when the South Korean suffered two unplayable lies at the fifth and went on to make double bogey, he suddenly found himself level with Giles and Baddeley, the latter eventually moving two clear as firstly Giles and then Kim both fell away.

There were further twists to come, though, as Baddeley faltered with a bogey at the 12th and was joined at 11 under by Chalmers and then Allenby before fading.

Chalmers went out in 35 with two birdies and a bogey and picked up further shots at the tenth, 12th, 16th and 17th to capitalise on his struggling rivals.

However, Allenby overcame two bogeys on the front nine to collect three birdies coming home while Fraser shrugged off bogeys at the first and 11th to make three critical birdies of his own in his last eight holes before the pair lost out on the first extra hole.

Pre-tournament favourite Adam Scott closed with a 68 to finish at ten under, left to rue his wayward opening nine holes on Thursday.

Baddeley, who had vaulted to the top of the pile by holing his approach to seventh for an eagle, eventually carded a 72 to join Scott in fourth place.

Team America on top of the world

The United States ended their 11-year wait for a 24th Omega Mission Hills World Cup victory as Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland landed the title on Hainan Island.

The most successful nation in the history of the competition won their first World Cup since Tiger Woods and David Duval in 2000, as tournament debutants Kuchar and Woodland combined for a five under par 67 in the final round foursomes.

That left them 24 under par and gave them a two shot win over Germany and England, for whom Ian Poulter and Justin Rose mounted an incredible late charge with a 63, the best foursomes score of the week by three shots.

“It feels great,” said Woodland. “It was a very nice week, we were treated very nicely here, and fortunately we played well. We came here and hoping to have some fun, but we set a goal out to win and that's what we came here to do.

“We played phenomenal, especially today. It's a tough format, and both of us picked each other up when the other one got in trouble. It was a good day.”

Overnight leaders Ireland had problems from the moment they three-putted the first hole for bogey, World Number Two Rory McIlroy missing from two feet.

America were having no such problems, Kuchar sinking a 15-footer at the first as they started with back-to-back birdies.

A two-putt birdie at the long sixth and another 15-footer from Kuchar at the next gave the USA an advantage and although they came under pressure from Ireland and Germany, they were not to be denied.

They dropped a shot at the par three 11th after Kuchar’s tee shot found sand, but responded with consecutive birdies - the impressive Woodland holing a 50-footer at the 13th – and parred their way home for victory.

“For Gary and I to put our name on this trophy alongside Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player and Tiger Woods and David Duval and Davis [Love] and Freddie [Couples] and the list goes on and on, it's a real honour,” said Kuchar.

“To be able to walk through these halls and to see our pictures and our faces, this is just a fantastic resort. To be remembered here as World Cup Champions is a real honour.”

Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka looked the most likely challengers after Kaymer's approach to five feet at the second and a chip-in birdie from Cejka at the ninth left them trailing by one shot at the turn.

But despite being bogey-free for their final round, and Cejka sinking a 20-foot putt at the 12th, they struggled to make the required birdies over the closing stretch, eventually signing for a 69.
“It was a great week,” said Kaymer. “It was our best result we've ever had, tied second. I think we were not the favourites coming into the week, but we showed again that we are good players and we play well together.

“I look forward to the next few years, because if I could have played a little better today, I think we would have had a good chance to win.”

Ireland looked to be back on track after their poor start when McIlroy stuck his approach to two feet at the third and sunk a ten-foot birdie putt two holes later.

But he and Graeme McDowell three-putted again at the sixth, and although McIlroy chipped in at the tenth, he missed from inside three feet for a second time at the 12th to effectively end their challenge.

A level par 72 left them level with Australia, the Netherlands and Scotland on 21 under par.

“We just didn't have it out there today,” said McDowell. “We had no mojo, we didn't make anything.

“We knew what we had to do today. Our target was to go and shoot four under par and that's exactly what we needed to do. We just couldn't get it done.

“We’re disappointed, of course, but this is a high quality golf tournament. The USA have played fantastic, England have played phenomenally well, and that was the high standard that we had to live up to today and we just didn't do it.”

Rose and Poulter were the stars of the day but an eight-shot overnight deficit proved just too much. The highlights of their round were Poulter’s 12-foot eagle putt on the 16th and Rose’s 20-foot birdie at the last.

“We as Team England were a little subdued last night,” said Poulter. “I don't think either of us were much company. We stayed in our own rooms and kind of rightly so.

“I think yesterday was disappointing to shoot four under par in fourball, and to go and shoot nine under par in foursomes is crazy.

“We bizarrely shoot nine under today and actually leave shots on the golf course, which sounds very silly to say, but it's the fact.”

Rose added: “I felt like today was a bit about coming out and playing for pride. You always have pride when you are playing for your country, but it was about restoring in individual pride for ourselves.

“Both fourball days were uncharacteristic for us, and today was fun. We gelled and finally got the right rhythm and right intensity and I think when we do get that, we match up really, really well."

Rose joked: “I think the secret today was we dressed a little better. We dressed like the flag - we looked at each other this morning and said ‘I feel good today, should have worn this all week’. Should we represent England in a couple of years, this will be the look."

Kim leads in Australia

South Korean K T Kim fired a third round 67 to take a one shot lead over American Bubba Watson at the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum.

Kim's third consecutive round in the 60s saw him finish the day 13 under par, one ahead of Watson who carded a 69.

Australian Aaron Baddeley lies third on ten under with his countrymen David Bransdon and Marcus Fraser, as well as 2009 US PGA champion Y E Yang of South Korea, a shot further back on nine under par.

Kim led the field alongside overnight leader Fraser and Watson midway through the front nine but proved the more consistent as the others fell away.

Fresh from impressing for the International team at last week's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, the World Number 24 enjoyed a flawless round as he matched Friday's score.

However, despite having now gone 27 holes without a bogey, Kim still only leads by one from Watson after three days, the latter recovering from a double bogey at the 15th with a birdie at the 17th.

Watson issued an immediate challenge to overnight leader Fraser when they began their rounds just before midday, jumping into a share of the lead when he eagled the par five first for the second day running.

Within two holes, Fraser's cushion was back to two as Watson made a bogey and Fraser followed with a birdie, but a dropped shot by the Victorian and birdie for Watson at the fourth saw them level again.

The pair then both birdied the fifth to pull clear of Kim on 12 under.

Robert Allenby's five birdies in his first dozen holes saw him join Fraser and Watson but a sixth birdie at the 16th was his only joy coming home after he bogeyed the 13th, double bogeyed the 15th and dropped shots on his final two holes as he carded a 71.

Fraser made a double bogey at the 12th and then bogeyed the 14th as he fell four shots off the lead Watson had opened up with another birdie at 12th.

Kim, meanwhile, continued to show his liking for the course as he seeks to overhaul current OneAsia money list leader Andre Stolz in the tour's final event, following up three consecutive birdies from the third with two more at the 12th and 15th.

And he very nearly holed a long birdie putt at the last that would have doubled his lead, having no trouble knocking in the testing par putt coming back to stay ahead of Watson.