Righto. Signing off, now. Thanks for your time and readership and click-ratios, or however the computer nerdos measure success.
That’s us.
And bye for now.
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Righto. That’ll do us, folks. Thanks for your time, your hits, whatever.
Look! Kerri Anne Kennerley! And Brian Lara. And ... that’s all. Just them. Oh yes, and Brian, my mate. He’s full as the last bus.
Well, Jordan Spieth has owned this Australian Open Golf Tournament, and will win by six or seven shots. What a performance ... brilliant. Amazing. What were you doing aged 21? Not winning the national open of another country’s golf championship, I would warrant.
AND THAT’S IT, JORDAN SPIETH IS IN .... AND HE’S SET A NEW COURSE RECORD OF 64, 8-UNDER, IN THIS WIND ... WOW. WHAT A ROUND. WHAT A PLAYER. RORY WHO? ADAM WHO? DARE I SAY TIGER WOODS WHO??
Okay. Where are we? We’re on the 18th green, near it, on the balcony of the Emirates Marquee ... and the beers are flowing like ambrosia. And here comes Greg Chalmers.
Okay, word from the Emirates Marquee, Brian Lara is here, he was playing golf at Cromer Golf Club the other week, he said it was the best club in Cromer he’d ever played.
SPIETH! HE’S HIT THE PIN ON 18. AND ... is that Kerri Anne Kennerley? It is! KAK in the house! And Brian Lara! It’s a famous-person-a-thon!
Greg Chalmers whacks one off. Or words to that effect.
And here comes the penultimate group: Adam Scott, Rod Pampling, Todd Sinnott, he’s played some flat-out sensational golf this week, as Julia Roberts said to Richard Gere, your parents must be very proud.
Adam Scott from the hill ... he knocks it close. And has three feet for par.
And Pamps now, Rod Pampling ... just misses his birdie try. And the happy golf nation acknowledges him: well played.
Adam Scott. Par putt. Tap-in. And that’s his tournament. Toughed it out all week. And finishes at 3-under.
Okay, here’s our Dear Leader, our Guaranteed Winner, Jordan Spieth, on the tee of 18, and he’s smashed one loooong, he’s 21 and won another country’s national championship, how good is he? Answer: Really, really good.
Who’s winning? These guys. But mainly the first guy.
Jordan Spieth -11
Rod Pampling -6
Greg Chalmers -5
Brett Rumford -5
Jake Higginbottom -3
Adam Scott -3
Robert Allenby -1
Ryan Fox -1
Aron Price Par
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Dan Nisbet ... lovely chip, to about three feet.
Jake Higginbottom, a huge man, from halfway up the hill ... and down, just onto the green.
And Aron Price, from the sand, six feet from the honey. He was leading after day one. And won the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic last year. This proved harder.
Adam Scott, he’s just missed a very gettable par putt. And won’t win the 2014 Stonehaven Cup.
“Where’s Rory right now, do you think?” asks my mate Brian. “He’s not out waiting for a cab, is he. He’d be in a Lear Jet with one of the Pussy Cat dolls, wouldn’t he?”
We may never know. But half his luck either way.
Okay - leaderboard? Yes, damn your eyes. The leaderboard:
Jordan Spieth -11
Rod Pampling -5
Greg Chalmers -5
Brett Rumford -5
Jake Higginbottom -3
Adam Scott -3
Robert Allenby -1
Ryan Fox Par
Daniel Nisbet Par
Okay - here we are in the Emirates Marquee, overlooking the pond near 18 on this venerable The Australian GC. And the news is: Jordan Spieth is winning, winning by 5, and #winning, as Charlie Sheen might tweet.
Spieth, now ... Slightly downhill. Let to right. GETS IT! AND YOU CAN START ENGRAVING THE STONEHAVEN CUP, STONEHAVEN CUP ENGRAVING MAN, YOUR 2014 CHAMPION IS: JORDAN SPIETH.
Rumford: bogey.
Chalmers. par.
And on we roll ... to the EMIRATES MARQUEE! Yippee. Talk to you very shortly, The People, from the balcony near 18.
Rumford, sandwedge flared right open. Can’t stop it. Can’t win the Australian Open.
Chalmers from downtown, five off the pace ... probably can’t win the Australian Open either. He lines up ... takes quite a long time ... if he was playing this slow in your Monday stableford comp you’d throw things at him ... He strokes it up ... just short. We may as well crown our champion now. Little Spiethy is owning this, owning it like a slave from less enlightened times.
Okay, Chalmers ... on the par-3 15th ... into the wind. Fair way short.
Spieth - great shot. It’s a Show now, the Jordan Spieth Show. He’s pin-high just off the fringe ... winning the Australian Open by four with four to play ... how about him.
And Rumford ... he’s David Goneski. Hooked it into the bunker. Not the hardest up-and-down. But the man needs a birdie. And a miracle.
Chalmers - great par. Sandsave. You make a lot of sandsaves, you’re a player.
Rumford ... to put a little pressure, a tiny amount of pressure on the Texan Wonderkid. Six footer, downhill ... long putter ... Yes. Very nice putt. Par.
And the Wonderkid. Good as a tap-in uphill. He and his caddy are studying its nuance. He lines up ... Too Easy. Too Easy, Campese.
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Okay - Chalmers from the sand... lovely. Six feet uphill for par.
Spieth - lovelier ... he’s got three feet up hill for his par and to retain a massive lead. For my money, the Kid owns this tournament.
Rumford, the nearest Danger .... from behind the green, needs great touch ... it’s okay. Not great. Okay. He’s got six foot to save par. He’s got four holes to play. Four shots to make up. It’s Go Time.
Righto, all three of our Final Group of Golfing Super-men have smashed driver off the 14th tee, and find themsleves within a 20m radius of one another on the right side of the fairway, still a good 150m from goal. Adam Scott is on the green ahead of us, making his par, and trying his best to get within less shots of Jordan Spieth. But holes are running out. And Jordan Spieth is good.
First away though is Greg Chalmers, he’d have about 170m to the flag, wind over his back ... no his front, he’s a lefty. He pulls the triggers. Say “Go!” Is not obeyed.
Spieth now... A right-hander. blue shirt and grey pants, a fine combination, white belt. .. whack... Short. Long way short. He’s mis-judged that.
And Rumford now ... right-handed.... white belt, dark blue pants ... whack ... staring at it.. he’s whacked it into the people at the back.
And onwards we roll.
Okay - Brett Rumford, a thousand away right. He’s ALMOST GOT IT IN! And the big crowd goes Oh! But he rolls it ten feet by, and will struggle to make par and keep pressure, if that’s the word, on runaway leader Jordan Spieth.
Jordan Spieth? He leads by four, with a gettable uphill 10 footer for bird. Right to left. We’re right behind it. He ... misses. Short and left. Easy par.
Rumford ... to save par. Long stick. Big wand. Eight footer - boom. Great putt. Great par.
Chalmers. Birdie ... Yes! He’s 4-under, five away from the leader, but not out of it with five to play.
Okay. Wind ratcheting in from nor east, a huge factor, a northerly buster. all three of our men, our last group, sits middle fairway, with aboug 145m up hill into the wind, super tough shot.
First away - Chalmers. Lefty. Nice looking shot ... oh - great shot. Stiffed it to about 10 feet. Brought it in on the wind.
Next: Texan Wonderkid. Same distance. Probably closer to 135. But uphill into the wind, playing a thousand. Oh - lucky. He’s whacked it off the hill and it’s bounced down under the hole. The Kid owns this.
Rumford: Righ again, further right. It’s stayed up there. Why must the wind be so unkind.
Chalmers ... fried egg lie in the pot. Takes his medicine. Goes out sideways. Smart golf.
Spieth, Dear Leader ... from off the green ... downhill chip ... great shot. Great tough. He’s got 2-feet for his par.
Chalmers again, from a thousand away, he’s got a monster long uphill putt for his par ... Important putt. They all are. But this one is Very Important. He’s five off Spieth. His chances of catching the Texan Wonderkid Need this ... but not to be. Long putt. He’s close. But no cigar.
Rumford - now, for birdie. Oh! Just misses. But leaves sneaky one back up the hill. Chalmers. Chalmers - par.
Rumford - par.
Spieth - makes his par. And onwards we roll.
Righto. Jordan Spieth has the Australian Open to lose. He’s 4 in front of his nearest competitor, Brett Rumford, who’s in the fairway bunker on the same hole. Another contender, Greg Chalmers, is in a fairway bunker further behind Jordan Spieth. And Jordan Spieth. Right side of the fairway, first cut, pretty.
Chalmers ... Nips it out. Another bunker.
Spieth, beautiful swing. Misses left.
Rumford ... Nips it beautifully ... some clapping. Pin-high on the green.
Okay, on 12 ... Spieth, the honour... par 4, long ... boom. with the wiund it is Downtown.
Chalmers ... seems he’s blocked it.
Rumford ... boom ... likes it, I think.
And onwards we roll.
Okay: First man away, Rumford, three off the pace ... he ... misses. He’s now 4 away from the Texan Wonderkid.
Texan Wonderkid? He’s next away, little uphill putt ... about four feet ... great putt, centre cup.
And Chalmers, from about 4 feet also, but downhill, I know which putt I’d prefer ... he ... he’s stalking it. Not confident. Or at least trying to be. He ... gets it.
And Spieth leads by 4 in the Open Championship of Australia.
Rumford - chips ... well, the crowd like it. But the ball is about 10 feet by the hole.
Okay - Spieth now, our Dear Leader ... lovely little chip, he’s got about 4-foot for a hard-won par on this puppy. It’s playing sick-hard.
And here’s Greg Chalmers, the lefty, with a delicate little putt from the fringe, downhill ... tough to gauge distance... he’s ... what’s he done ... rolled it... lagged it, close-ish. Little trembler down hill. But pretty fine touch.
Okay, The People, we’re on the hill near the par-3 11th green and the nor-easter is coming in hard. We’re following the final group - Jordan Spieth, who’s come up short. Greg Chalmers who’s just off the fringe, pin-high. And Brett Rumford who’s come up shorter than Spieth, about 40 metres short of his target. The northerly wind, it’s a factor, baby. And Spieth, with a 2-shot lead over Chalmers is box seat.
Okay. I’m Matt Cleary, and I’m about to head off to follow Jordan Spieth who I predict will win this 2014 Australian Open Championship that’s about to get smashed by the Wizard of Oz wind from the north. The Wicked wind of the north. A wind. But me and Spiethy, that I bet he wasn’t called in Texas because they don’t do that sort of name thing Aussies do, we’re gonna come on home. Talk to you shortly.
Oh - somebody’s comin: Big storm forecast, and it’s a fair way up in the North. Might miss us. Might smack us like the big storm in the Wizard of Oz. We may never know. Well we would know if we Googled the BOM, as I just did and ... yes. There’s a big orange bit of mischief coming down over the Hawkesbury, and it’s gonna wash over here ... some time soon. Batten down hatches, The People. Batten down the hatches.
Okay. The penultimate group - Pampling, Sinnott (Am.) and Scott, the uber-man of the golf-world, have just hit off the tenth. All of them have some chance of winning this national championship of Australia, though they’ll need a lot of luck. The nor-easter breeze is strong and flukey in equal measure. And Jordan Spieth, the Texan Wonderkid is smokin’ hot on 9-under and looks the Texan Wonderkid to Beat.
Okay, we’re back live-blogging and ready to rumble, The People, it’s 2:04pm, and the Australian Open golf championship is looking like Jordan Spieth’s to lose. The Texan wunderkind is on -9, two ahead of Brett Rumford, and several ahead of Adam Scott who’s had his issues early on but has battled back to 4-under. And the lay of the land is thus:
Jordan Spieth -9
Brett Rumford -7
Greg Chalmers -5
Adam Scott -4
Rod Pampling -3
Jake Higginbottom -2
David Bransdon Par
Josh Younger Par
Daniel Nisbet Par
Greetings, The People, and welcome to The Australian, the glorious championship golf course in Sydney’s suburban eastern hinterland, it’s Sunday and Day Four of the national open golf championship of Australia, and the joint is ready to rumble.
Perhaps not rumble, it’s golf not the Daytona 500. But the super-men of golf assembled here in Rosebery are ready to attack like many ninjas.
Perhaps not ninjas.
Beautiful day. And the course looks like James’s giant peach. It’s gob-dangling gorgeous, The Australian, and if you have a spare hundred-odd Big Ones you could join, and get nude with the Members.
Nude? Nude. Members of this crackerjack golf club have a locker room that adjoins the main bar, and often walk nude as the day their momma made them, bellying up to the bar, in the nude, and holding ernest conversations about important matters of state.
Or something I dunno, but it’s a Thing at The Australian, getting nude, and good luck to them, every golf club needs its little kinks, foibles, word I can’t think of.
The golf? While the temperature is about as good as you can get for swimming, boating, or wandering around markets shopping for interesting knick-naks, why I once bought a gas mask from the war on the Portobello Road, it’s not going to be any easier for the super-men around the testing The Australian.
Hell on grammar, it’s gorgeous but deadly, especially in this brisk and buffetty north-easterly breeze. Buffetty? I’m going with it.
Who’s going to win? If I knew I’d tell Centrebet before you. But as I write, 90 minutes before we go live and sweaty at 2pm AEST (3am GMT, 4am Sweden), the winner will likely come from one of these super-men:
Greg Chalmers -6
Adam Scott -5
Jordan Spieth-5
Brett Rumford -4
Todd Sinnott (Am) -2
Rod Pampling -2
David Bransdon -1
Jake Higginbottom -1
Alistair Presnell Par
Matt will be here shortly but in the meantime, here’s how things panned out yesterday in Sydney.
Adam Scott emerged from a dramatic third round of the Australian Open just one shot off the championship lead. Halfway leader Greg Chalmers ground out an even-par 71 in testing conditions to remain on top, with Brett Rumford and American ace Jordan Spieth carding 69s to join the two-time champion at five under.
Scott and veteran Rod Pampling shot 69s to be tied for fourth at four under - but world No.1 Rory McIlroy imploded mid-round to leave his title defence in tatters. The defending champion had a triple-bogey and double-bogey mid-round to plummet from the joint lead into a tie for 14th at one over after a uncustomary round of 76.
Only eight players ended the round in red figures as blustery winds and baking greens turned so-called moving day into grinding day at The Australian Golf Club.
Long-hitting amateur Todd Sinnott (73) is outright sixth at two under, one ahead of rising star Jake Higginbottom (72) and Sydney touring professional Aron Price (69).
Read the full report here.
