Moseley, Lonard joint PGA winners - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Moseley, Lonard joint PGA winners

By Wayne Heming 01/12/2002 09:27:03 PM Comments (0)

After almost 12 hours of intense pressure Jarrod Moseley and Peter Lonard stood on the 18th green at Coolum for the second time and agreed to create Australian golf history.

For the first time in a major tournament in this country, Moseley and Lonard were declared joint winners of a dramatic Australian PGA Championship, finishing tied on 17 under par after four rounds at the Hyatt's resort course.

After parring the first sudden death hole down the treacherous 390 metre 18th hole, officials gave the pair the option of playing the 18th again in fading light or returning in the morning.

"We couldn't have played (because of the light)," said Moseley who started his final round with a commanding five shot lead.

"One of us would have been shafted if we'd played another hole. You couldn't see the hole and it was dark.

"If we'd have come back in the morning it would have been an anti-climax with nobody here."

Lonard, who had laser surgery on his eyes this year, said he couldn't play the last few holes.

"I'm as blind as a bat," said the New South Welshman, who added he couldn't see where his tee and approach shots landed on the final regulation hole.

"I wasn't too sure where the first putt was going, let alone the second one (on the play-off hole)," said Lonard.

The first putt, which sent the championship into a play-off, was one of the greatest pressure putts in Australian golf.

Moseley admitted his jaw "hit the ground" as he watched his rival's 20 metre birdie disappear into ground.

"I knew he wasn't going to leave it short and the crowd noise frightened the pants off me," said Moseley who had not won a tournament his first victory, over South African Ernie Els, in the Heineken Classic at The Vines in 1999.

"I had no chance of making my (birdie) putt after that.

"I just said to myself 'roll it in for two and let's get on with the play-off'."

Lonard, who used memories of another monster putt during a Palm Meadows Cup several years ago to help him concentrate, joked he didn't read the putt much before sending it rushing across the green.

"It was a right-to-lefter.

"It was halfway there and my caddy pulled the pin out and I didn't know where the bloody hole was.

"All of a sudden it just disappeared. It sort of feels like I stole it a bit, but I suppose sometimes it goes you way and sometimes it doesn't."

Both players insisted they had not been pressured into sharing the title and agreed they didn't want to come back on Monday morning to complete the play-off.

Moseley fired rounds of 65-66-67-73 while Lonard shot four sub-par rounds of 65-68-70-68.

Victorian Stuart Appleby (74-67-66-67) staged a marvellous comeback after a two over opening round to climb into third place on 14 under, one shot ahead of Greg Norman, who thrilled the huge gallery with some vintage Shark golf over the weekend.

Young Victorian Aaron Baddeley had a sorry final round, finishing sixth with a closing round of 73 which included an embarrassing missed tap-in putt on the 6th hole when he was still in contention at 14 under par.

Baddeley, upset at leaving his par putt 10cm short, casually prodded his putter at the ball, managing to make the faintest contact before tapping in for a double bogey five.

His blunder brought back memories of American Hale Irwin's putt in the 1983 British Open at Muirfield when his stroke went over the top of the ball and he missed a play-off with Tom Watson by one shot.

Asked if he had ever done it before, Baddeley said: " I don't think so, no... and I won't ever do it again.

"I'll line it up from now on."

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