Adam Scott’s second Australian PGA victory at RACV Royal Pines, was his first win in more than three years. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

ADAM Scott ended a three-and-a-half-year wait for his 11th European Tour title, winning the Australian PGA Championship for the second time at RACV Royal Pines Resort.

The 2013 Masters Tournament champion, who won his homeland’s PGA crown that same year, started the final round one stroke ahead of a condensed chasing pack.

But the winner of eight Euorpean Tour events and 13 more in the States trailed as Scott made the turn, while New Zealander Michael Hendry made a charge.

Hendry, who was battling through a rib injury sustained earlier in the week, birdied four holes on the front nine.

He then took the lead with his fifth gain on the 10th, but, after his sixth birdie of the day on the 16th, Hendry dropped to 11-under after bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes.

It wasn’t until Scott rolled in a clinical eagle putt on the par five 15th  – his third of the week on the hole – that he moved ahead once again.

The 39-year-old then held on to sign for a three-under par 69 – and a total of 13-under, to finish two strokes ahead of Hendry, ensuring his first title since the 2016 WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, in Miami – the year the Trump National renovation, that started in 2013, was completed.

Scott, who has two World Golf Championship titles as well has his lone Green Jacket, said: “I’m pretty stoked, actually.

“I grinded it out this week and I feel like I outsmarted the golf course a little bit, which feels good, and it was good enough to beat everyone.

“It’s been a long time between drinks for me and maybe only once or twice did the thought cross my mind that I’ll never win again.

“It feels very good to win here, especially to finish the year off kind of winning at home,” added Scott, whose victory Down Under was the seventh of his 19-year career on home soil.

“I’ve seen what it’s done for me in the past – a win. You feel like you’re just never going to lose again, so you want to run with that while the confidence is up.

“Somehow I’ll have to think that in seven weeks when I step back in LA,” said Scott.

“I think it’s very difficult to win. I’m on the wrong side of this age thing now where these young guys are really good and I played some pretty good golf a couple weeks this year and fell short.

“You know, record‑setting scores. I think the courses are getting tougher, guys are playing good.

“Just being alright doesn’t really get you in, you’ve got to be pretty much sensational,” added the most successful Aussie player since Greg Norman.

Hendry admitted he was just pleased to complete the round and pick up the cheque for

The Kiwi said: “The warm-up was terrible. I honestly thought I wasn’t going to get through the round.

“So quite honestly, my goal was just get through 18 holes and finish the event regardless of what the score was. Lo and behold, I hit it really well.

“It was painful all day and I just kept trying to basically man up and hit the shot.

“Maybe that was the thing that I needed to take my attention away from what was happening on the golf course.

“It was more about trying to make good swings under a little bit of pain, and I made a lot of good swings.

“I’m pretty happy with the way I played considering physically what was going on,” added Hendry, who has six wins in Asia and the Far East since turning pro in 2005, including the Toke Homemate Cup, in Japan, in 2015.

“It’s a shame that I didn’t end up winning, but when you’re not 100 percent and you’re trying to chase down one of the best players in the world, you’re up against it,” said Hendry.

Four Australians, Cameron Davis, Nick Flanagan, Min Woo Lee and Wade Ormsby, shared third place with China’s Carl Yuan on 10-under par.

Min Woo Lee, the former US Junior Champion – who is tipped to be the next superstar from the Antipodes – said: “It was a scrappy start.

“I bogeyed the first two par threes, which wasn’t the best. But I was proud of how I handled myself and I made a lot of good shots on the back nine.

“Seventeen was a little unlucky, then I hit a good shot into 18 and just missed the putt,” added the younger brother of LPGA superstar Minjee Lee.

“It’s just a few putts missed and I’m right in there. It’s a good learning curve.

“I knew I was behind all day,” said Lee. “You know someone is going to make birdies, so I was a little behind the eight ball.

“It was a good effort of me to come back after that start,” said Lee, who produced his best finish since he was fourth in the inaugural Saudi Arabia International, in March, having turned pro at the start of the year.

•For full results in the 2019 Australian PGA Championship click here.

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Lucas Herbert made six birdies and an eagle on his way to a five-under 67 in the first round of the Australian PGA Championship, at RACV Royal Pines, in Queensland. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

LUCAS Herbert carded six birdies and an eagle at RACV Royal Pines Resort to share the first round lead at the Australian PGA Championship with compatriot Brett Rankin.

The pair are two of nine Australians inside the top 14, joined by five New Zealanders on three-under par or better on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

After two birdies and an eagle on his first three holes, 24-year-old Herbert rallied again after three dropped shots.

Herbert, who recently recovered from a wrist injury, made four gains on his back nine, including three on his final four holes from the sixth to the ninth, to sign for a five-under 67.

“It was an interesting day,” said Lucas Herbert. “I usually set myself targets, numbers-wise, but I didn’t today.

“I let everything go and enjoyed being out there. The course is in great shape, I just enjoyed being out on a nice golf course with one of my best mates on the bag.

“That was on my mind, I didn’t feel like I got off to a great start, but then I didn’t feel like I fell too far backwards because I wasn’t concentrating on that either.

“My iron play was pretty good. That’s improved quite a lot in the last few weeks. Good flight in the wind out here, it was a bit breezy on the back nine,” Herbert added.

“It was solid. I didn’t throw shots away with silly doubles, if I stop throwing shots away I’ll go alright.”

Herbert finished 107th on the Race to Dubai in 2019, having been 47th in his rookie season in 2018, which included five top fives – the best a runner’s-up finish in the Portugal Masters.

The big-hitting Aussie and fellow countryman Rankin sit one stroke ahead of five others, including Herbert’s fellow European Tour members Nick Cullen, Min Woo Lee and Wade Ormsby.

Min Woo Lee, who narrowly missed out on keeping his card in his rookie season on the European Tour, said: “I think early on I didn’t really take the opportunities because there’s a big crowd – and I’m not really used to it.

“But yeah, it’s pretty special, added Lee, the younger brother of LPGA star Minjee Lee.

“It’s massive. I hit a lot of good shots – some got rewarded, some didn’t get rewarded, but I felt like I played pretty good and I’m pretty proud of the way I finished.

“It was pretty calm this morning, so hopefully tomorrow morning I can go out there and shoot a low score,” added Lee, who became the first Australian to win the US Junior Championship, in 2016.

The Lees became the first brother and sister to claim USGA junior titles after MinJee’s victory in the 2012 US Girls Championship.

Fox in top 10 with eyes on Order of Merit

NEW Zealand’s Ryan Fox could secure the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit crown this week.

The Kiwi, who leads by almost AU$75,000 from Zach Murray. Fox, won his maiden European Tour title at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth in February,

Fox – the longest driver on the European Tour in 2019 – shares eighth place on three-under. He said: “I’m pretty happy.

“It’s playing a bit tougher than previous years. The course has settled in a little bit and it’s a little bit firmer out there. You can end up in some pretty bad spots.

“I played really solid tee-to-green. Got up-and-down on a couple of bad shots I hit and made a couple of putts – I probably left a couple out there as well.

“But I’m very happy with three-under,” added Fox.

Adam Scott lurks with Cink three shots back

MAJOR champions Stewart Cink, winner of The Open at Turnberry 10 years ago, and Adam Scott, who won the Masters in 2013, share 15th place on two under.

Scott, the highest-ranked player in the field, but who is looking for his first win since the 2016 WGC Cadillac Championship, at Doral, said: “I played good today.

“Unfortunately, I really mishit that drive on 13 and it cost me two. Other than that it was stress-free, but it wasn’t easy out there.

“I had a lot of in-between numbers. When it’s windy here you have to be careful, you don’t want to be chipping short-side around here.

“The grain is too much to deal with. I wish I could have that swing on 13 over again.

“All in all, I feel good about that round,” added Scott, who has 10 wins on the European Tour and five more Down Under.

Joining Scott and Cink on that number are Challenge Tour graduates Calum Hill, from Scotland, and Lancashire’s Jack Senior.

Qualifying school graduates Aaron Cockerill and Johannes Veerman, from Canada, and the United States respectively, and France’s Damien Perrier, are also two-under after the first round – three behind Lucas Herbert and Rankin.

•For live scoring in the Australian PGA Championship click here.

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Bryson DeChambeau matched the fireworks of last year’s US Open and PGA Champion Brooks Koepka by firing a superb 66 to lead the Masters at Augusta after the first round . Picture by GETTY IMAGES.

BRYSON DeChambeau produced an incredible finish, posting four closing birdies to share the lead with Brooks Koepka at six-under par the end of day one at the Masters.

A remarkable run of scoring in the late groups stretched the field at Augusta National Golf Club, with DeChambeau amongst a host of European Tour players in the mix going into Friday at the first Major Championship of the year.

South African debutant Justin Harding was one of the players who had set the target at three-under early in the day.

And for a long time it looked like there would be a highly congested leaderboard as a nine-way tie for the lead developed.

But four birdies in a row from the 12th hole from Koepka moved the three-time Major champion to six-under and into a two-shot lead.

DeChambeau’s incredible finish saw him catch his fellow American, thanks in part to a wonderful second shot on the 18^th where he was only denied an eagle by the pin flag.

The player, known as “The Mad Scientist” for his quirky mathematical approach to golf, signed for a 66  – his best round at Augusta National.

Meanwhile Koepka, playing behind his rival who has won five times since last June, parred his way home to record the only bogey-free round of the day and share top spot.

The winner of the Dubai Desert Classic – the same route to the Green Jacket taken by Sergio Garcia in 2017 and Danny Willett in 2016 – said “It’s my best round out here, a 66.

“I was just looking to shoot something in the 60s this week because I haven’t done that yet in my couple times playing here.

“What a magical back nine.  Wind started to pick up, right around Amen Corner, and it was tough.  It was not easy one bit.” Bryson added.

“But we just stuck to what we knew we should have done, and we did, and was able to execute a beautiful nine-iron on 12 that kind of jump started my back nine, hitting it to five feet, making that putt got me rolling.

“I should have pulled the flagstick out (on the 18^th). But no, it was a great shot, and I was excited just to tap‑in to finish off a great round.”

Three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson birdied five of his last seven holes to sit one shot off the lead at five-under, a shot clear of fellow American Dustin Johnson and Woburn’s Ian Poulter.

The honorary member at Leighton Buzzard Golf Club where he started life in the pro shop, said: “I’m very happy with today’s work. It’s a great start to a long week.

“The weather is going to be interesting over the next three days with the thunderstorms coming in,” said Poulter.

“The course dried out nicely today.  A couple of greens may have been a touch slower than what we’ve previously had in the past on a Thursday.

“But I’m happy with that and feel pretty good about it. My whole game was together, from the first hole to the 18th hole.

“I mean I only missed two greens in regulation, I think.  One of them was nine.  I made bogey there.

“And the other green I missed I was kind of 12 feet from the pin and just on the fringe.  So really my putting all around today was extremely solid. I need to do that over the next few days.”

Harding – who has won five times worldwide in the last year, including his maiden European Tour title at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters – is joined at three-under par by Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Kevin Kisner of the United States, Australian Adam Scott and Spain’s Jon Rahm.

South African Harding, who played a practice round with 2011 Green Jacket winner Charl Schwartzel earlier in the week, said: “I was happy with it, I handled my emotions pretty well, a bit annoying on the last making bogey.  But at the end of the day I’ll take it.

“Golf is purely momentum based.  If you take enough confidence into the rounds then you’re bound to play well.

“You just pretty much need to get out of your own way. I’ll take it and run if I can – we’re not allowed to run here at Augusta – but I’m pleased.

“It’s one of those where I gave myself a couple chances, I didn’t feel like I took great advantage of the par fives.

“I managed to hit a wedge close in on 16 but other than that it was one of those where you just kind of sneak in a birdie here or there where you can.

“I managed to hit a couple of fairways.  I’m still learning and this golf course is difficult.”

Rahm, who finished fourth last year and has since made his debut for Europe in the Ryder Cup thrashing handed out to the Americans in Paris last year, has made a great start to 2019 with five top 10s in eight starts.

The Spaniard said: “I think that the most important thing is I never lost patience.

“I was one over par on the par fives going to the back nine where it’s easy to get a little frustrated and I didn’t.

“I kept my cool and I was able to make a great birdie on nine and get where I’m going.

“It’s tough out there, they made a few changes to the golf course, they put some tough pins early in the day already, the greens started getting progressively firmer, so just being able to make a couple good putts and shoot under par is a good round.”

Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard, who is also making his debut at Augusta – having reached the last four of the WGC World Match Play in Texas two weeks ago – and The Open champion Francesco Molinari are among a group of 10 players at two-under.

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