Twenty-three
year-old Kurt Barnes has won the 2005
Mitsubishi Motors Victorian Open following
the final round played at the Woodlands Golf
Club today (Sunday January 30th).
Barnes birdied the first hole of a
sudden-death play-off to take the title from
fellow New South Welshman Nathan Green after
the pair had tied on twelve-under par for
the 54-hole Championship
In perfect sunny conditions with a gentle
southerly breeze drifting across the course,
overnight leader Barnes fired a one-under 71
while Green finished strongly with a
three-under 69 to both finish with a three
round total of 204.
Young Victorian professional Matthew Milne,
who moved into contention with a
course-record second round of 65 continued
his fine form with a final round 68 to
finish tied for joint third with South
Australian Nigel Spence on nine-under par,
three strokes in arrears.
At one stage midway through the front nine,
no less than 11 players were within three
strokes of the lead after Barnes took a
triple-bogey seven on the short par 4 fourth
hole. The charges were coming thick and fast
all over the course.
Firstly Mike Harwood roared through the
front nine in five-under 31 to get to nine
under for the Championship. Talented New
South Wales professional Scott Gardiner then
got to eight under after 13 holes after
following three consecutive birdies with an
eagle two on the 251-metre fourth.
A further birdie at the par five sixth moved
him onto nine-under for the Championship,
before late bogeys ended his chances.
However the tale of the tournament
ultimately found its way back to the final
two groups on the course. Barnes recovered
spectacularly from a disastrous
triple-bogey at the short par 4 fourth hole
with consecutive birdies on the 5th and 6th
to get back to eleven-under.
Green meanwhile was steadily building his
round through the front nine. Beginning the
day at nine-under, the former runner-up at
the Australian Masters birdied the third and
sixth holes to join Barnes at eleven-under.
Barnes' roller-coaster round continued after
back-to-back bogeys on the difficult seventh
and eighth were followed by birdies at the
9th and 10th. After a bogey at the 13th
thanks to a tee shot into heavy trees to the
right of the fairway, Green looked to have
the advantage after moving to twelve under
with just three holes to play.
Overcoming a bogey on the 16th with a birdie
two on the 17th, Green left the door ajar
when he failed to birdie the par five final
hole to finish at twelve under. In keeping
with the enthralling battle, Barnes fought
back with birdies at the par five 15th and
the 467-metre closing hole to force a
play-off.
Both players returned to the par 5, 18th for
the play off with Barnes again reaching the
green in two and Green landing in the green
side bunker and failing to get up and down
for birdie.
Barnes calmly stoked his putt to within tap
in range for his birdie and victory.
Barnes a renowned power hitter praised the
presentation of the course as world class
and attributed his win to a new Callaway
driver and a more mature approach to the
game. " It takes patience and a strategic
approach to play a course like Woodlands. I
had a game plan for this course and stuck to
it for three days" said Barnes.
Leading amateur honours went to Victorian
State Squad member Matthew Griffin who
returned a final round of 73 for a
three-round even par total of 216. Just
three amateurs survived the 36-hole cut into
the final day field.
The Vic Open has a rich history linking back
to the first Championship of Victoria played
at Royal Melbourne in 1899. The first
tournament specifically named the Victorian
Open was held in 1957 at Riversdale Golf
Club and was won by Ossie Pickworth. The
2005 Championship is the 46th playing of the
event.
Barnes becomes the 35th person to take the
State's premier golf title and joins the
likes of Peter Thomson, Bruce Devlin, Bob
Shearer, Stewart Ginn, Ian Stanley, Mike
Clayton, Greg Norman, Ian Baker-Finch,
Robert Allenby and Stephen Leaney with his
name on the trophy.
In keeping with the tournament's slogan of
"Where Stars are Born", in addition to
Barnes victory, the performances of the
young professionals in Spence, Milne, Ewan
Porter and Jarrod Lyle augurs well for their
futures in the demanding world of
professional golf.
