American Tom Purtzer has won the 2005 Titanium Enterprises Australian PGA Seniors Championship shooting a one-under par 71 for a three round total of 206, five shots from Scotsman John Chillas.
On the 12th hole Chillas got within two shots from Purtzer who wasn’t having the best of luck with the putter today but managed to hold on to claim the Championship and join countryman Orville Moody and Lee Trevino as Australian PGA Senior Champions.
“It was a little bit of a struggle, I got off to a great start and made two birdies and then the wheels feel off, struggled for the next three holes to be four over. That kind of let everybody else go ‘hey I got a chance’, but I played pretty good after that”, Purtzer said after his round. “My goal was to shoot under par and I did that so that was the good part about it.”
Chillas had a red hot putter claiming five birdies in his two-under par round of 70 but two bogeys on the back nine gave Purtzer the upper hand he needed to win.
“It was looking at the 14th tee as if anything could happen at that point,” Chillas said. “Unfortunately I hit a bad shot into 14 and didn’t get up and down and then Tom birdied 15 to go four ahead and that was the ball botched as they say.”
Purtzer initially came out to Australia to visit his daughter Ashley who is attending Sydney University as an exchange student, but decided to play the event once he got the go ahead from his daughter and tournament organisers.
The best round of the day came from South Australian Garry Merrick who shot a three under par 69 to finish in outright third position on a total of 213. Following Merrick was New South Welshman David Merriman in fourth with a total of 215 and in tied fifth position was Paul Firmstone and Noboro Fujiike from Japan on 217.
Defending Champion Mike Ferguson shot at even par round of 72 to finish in tied seventh position.
Another 10mm of rain overnight threatened to delay the start of the Championship which had been reduced to a 54 hole event on Saturday but the rain held off and conditions were near perfect for the final round.
Final Round Results
Pos. Name State Score -/+ Par Total
1 Thomas Purtzer USA 206 -10
2 John Chillas UK 211 -5
3 Garry Merrick SA 213 -3
4 David G Merriman NSW 215 -1
T5 Paul T Firmstone NSW 217 1
T5 Noboru Fujiike JPN 217 1
T7 Ian Brander NSW 218 2
Michael A Ferguson QLD 218 2
Randall C Vines QLD 218 2
T10 John T Clifford NSW 219 3
Terry Gale WA 219 3
Roger Jf Stephens SA 219 3
T13 David J Good VIC 220 4
Noel Ratcliffe NSW 220 4
T15 Martin Gray UK 221 5
Clive J Johnston QLD 221 5
Robert A Shearer VIC 221 5
T18 Delroy Cambridge USA 222 6
Michael Wilsdon NSW 222 6
Kenjiro Iwama JPN 222 6
T21 Hisao Inoue JPN 223 7
John A Victorsen QLD 223 7
T23 Takashi Miyoshi JPN 224 8
Simon Owen NZ 224 8
T25 Jerry Bruner USA 225 9
Garry J Campbell QLD 225 9
Brandon G Coleman QLD 225 9
Peter N Croker VIC 225 9
T29 Allan J Cooper QLD 226 10
John W Klatt QLD 226 10
Craig Owen NZ 226 10
Barry Vivian NZ 226 10
George Serhan NSW 226 10
T34 Trevor J Mcdonald VIC 227 11
Bryan A Smith QLD 227 11
Neil D Wall QLD 227 11
T37 Frank Conallin NSW 228 12
John N Williamson NZ 228 12
T39 Geoff L Parslow QLD 229 13
John R Tolhurst QLD 229 13
T41 Paul J Connell NSW 230 14
Richard Ellis NZ 230 14
T43 Peter J Headland NSW 231 15
Fujita Hiroshi JPN 231 15
Kenneth C Oung WA 231 15
Danny J Spencer QLD 231 15
47 John E Hogben NSW 232 16
T48 Gregory A Hunter NSW 233 17
Paul D Murray NSW 233 17
T50 Richard K Beer NSW 234 18
Elliott Booth TAS 234 18
David L Galloway SA 234 18
53 Philip Hardy NSW 235 19
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