Davis wins play-off

Press, 5 December 1988, Page 44

Davis wins play-off

NZPA-AAP Melbourne The Australian Rodger Davis snared the $500,000 first prizemoney in the Australian Bicentennial Golf Classic at Royal Melbourne yesterday after beating the American Fred Couples in a suddendeath play-off. The two players had tied on 271 — 17 under the card — for the fourday tournament and went into the play-off which lasted just two holes. Davis, the 1986 Australian Open champion; paired the par four eighteenth to secure his victory after Couples failed to sink a long putt for par.

In outright third place was Sydney’s Brett Ogle who fired a final round 69 to be 16 under par. The overnight leader, American Hale Irwin, faded in the last few holes to finish even par for the day on 72 and 15 under over all to share fourth place with compatriot Ben Crenshaw.

The pre-tournament favourite, Greg Norman, equalled Irwin’s course record 64 yesterday to finish at 12 under. Final scores —

271: Rodger Davis (N.S.W.) 68, 67, 68, 68 (won on the second hole of sudden-death pla<off $500,000), Fred

Couples (U.S.) 66, 69, 69, 67 ($165,000). 272: Brett Ogle (N.S.W.) 70, 67, 66, 69 ($90,000). 273: Ben Crenshaw (U.S.) 68, 65, 70, 70 ($55,000); Hale Irwin (U.S.) 69, 67, 65, 72 ($55,000). 276: Greg Norman (Qld) 73, 66, 73, 64 ($35,750); Ronan Rafferty (N. Ireland) 70, 67, 70, 69 ($35,750). 278: Hajime Meshiai (Japan) 70, 66, 73, 69 ($27,500); John Cook (U.S.) 72, 72, 68, 66 ($27,500); Peter Senior (Qld) 68, 69, 70, 71 ($27,500). 279: Howard Clark (U.K.) 70, 68, 70, 71 ($24,000).

281: Craig Parry (W.A.) 71, 71, 70, 69 ($22,000); Scott Simpson (UJL)''7l, 68, 73, 69 ($22,000); Jet Ozaki/Japan) 74, 73, 69, 65 ($22,015).