Golf Betting
Trailing home-course favorite Geoff Ogilvy by two shots entering the final round, Ian Poulter served immediate notice that he wouldn’t make things easy for the local lad. Poulter drove the green on the par-4 opening hole and made the eagle putt to forge a tie, then pulled away with a 67 to win the Australian Masters.
Poulter’s 15-under total was three clear of runner-up Marcus Fraser and four better than Ogilvy, who grew up at host Victoria Golf Club. Ogilvy assumed the lead with a stellar 63 in Saturday’s third round, but could only manage 73 playing alongside Poulter on Sunday.
The Englishman, as famous for his head-turning wardrobe as his game, vaulted into the world top 20 with his second win of 2012. Poulter was clearly excited by his finishing kick. “For me it was a pure ball striking round of golf,” he said. “(My concentration) was flawless the whole day. I was happy how I approached every shot.”
Those included a mid-range birdie putt on the seventh that gave Poulter the outright lead, and a third shot on the par-5 ninth that set up a tap-in birdie. Meanwhile, Ogilvy started the round with 12 straight pars before bogeys on 13 and 15 derailed his chances.
Adam Crawford and Peter Senior tied fourth at 7-under while world No. 1 Luke Donald finished in a 12th-place logjam on -4.
The 2012 European Tour Schedule kicks off Jan. 5 at the Africa Open.
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