Green’s run falls short
VICTORIAN left hander Richard Green thought he would get a shot at a second gold jacket after a birdie-laced back nine at Huntingdale yesterday.
Green fired a bogey-free three-under 69, one of only two sub-70 scores on the final day of the Australian Masters, to post a 10-under total before he watched the final five pairs on the closing holes.
After signing the card, Green stood glued to a TV set in the scorer’s hut to see whether he might sneak into another playoff for title.
Green won in 2004 with a birdie at the 18th in a sudden-death play-off with Victorian David McKenzie and West Australian Greg Chalmers.
But he came up two strokes short this time when England’s Justin Rose parred the last final holes for a 12-under total.
“I thought I posted as good a number as I could, and full credit to Justin for hanging on,” Green said.
“It was very encouraging not having a bogey, especially how difficult the course was.
“The green on 16 was very fast if you were on the wrong side of the hole and there were a lot of bogies there. And 17 and 18, where the pins were placed, anything could happen.”
Green and Aaron Baddeley mounted their challenges on Huntingdale’s tougher homeward nine holes.
Baddeley, in the group ahead of his Melbourne colleague, birdied the 10th, 12th and 14th to surge into contention.
But his bold run came to an unfortunate end at the final hole after pulling his approach left into the marquees.
Despite a free drop, he couldn’t get near the cup because it was cut close to the bunkers in front of him.
Baddeley flicked a wedge shot that ran four metres past the pin, but he missed the right-to-left sliding par putt to slip to eight-under.
Green had even more chances to duplicate his glorious victory of two years ago.
He birdied the 10th, 11th and, like most contenders, the 555m, downwind par-five 14th.
The left hander was in the groove from tee to green, but couldn’t nail the crucial putts.
He shaved the lip for birdie at the 15th and 16th before draining a two-metre par putt at the last to post a 10-under target.
“It was about as good as I could do,” Green said.
“It was just a shame to not make birdies on 15 and 16. That was my chance to tie Justin.
“The course played very, very difficult.
“Pin placements were very tough and the firmness of the greens was very difficult as well.”
