Golf: Scott smashes course record to win Slam

Port Royal (Bermuda), Oct 17 (IANS/CMC) Australian Adam Scott shot a course record seven-under-par 64 to go past overnight leader Justin Rose and land the $600,000 winner's cheque at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf here.

Masters champion Scott, 33, who trailed Englishman Rose by four shots with 10 holes left to play, sealed a two-shot victory with a magnificent tap-in eagle on the par five 17th after a birdie on the 15th narrowed the gap and took the wind out of Rose's sails Wednesday, reports CMC.

"Obviously, I'm thrilled to come out on top," Scott, who carded 134 after opening with a one-under 70, said afterwards.

"It was fun, but a trying couple of days here really.

"It felt like a long way round out there but I was happy with the score."

US Open champion Rose, who led American Jason Dufner by two strokes after Tuesday's first round with Scott a further shot back, extended his lead to four strokes after four successive birdies from the fourth, but he bogeyed the ninth as well as the picturesque but treacherous 218-yard par-three 16th where his tee shot ended up unplayable in a bush.

Scott double-bogeyed the hole in the opening round.

Added Scott: "Standing on the 11th tee, it didn't look like a score like that (64) was going to be possible, but I played very well and managed to claw away at Justin.

"After he made bogey on 16 I managed to capitalise on that by hitting such a great shot into 17."

The annual 36-hole tournament, which has been staged in Bermuda for the past seven years and will return to Port Royal for at least one more year, features the year's four major winners.

US PGA champion Dufner, who was never in contention on Wednesday, finished third three shots behind Rose with defending champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland -- a replacement for unavailable British Open winner Phil Mickelson -- last six shots further back.

Harrington said after the first round he "felt stale and tired".

Rose, who finished on 136, admitted he thought he might claim victory when he opened up a four-stroke lead on the front nine, but praised Scott for his finish, saying the Australian's birdie on the 15th was the turning point.

"When I was four strokes up I felt confident I was going to win but I was just going about playing my game," he said.

"I didn't have my best game all week really and I'd have been surprised (to win).

"I struggled and hit one bad shot in the hazard on 16, and I didn't hit a lot of great shots on the back nine -- I was hanging on."

Besides winning $600,000, Scott was given honourary membership of Port Royal by Premier Craig Cannonier in recognition of his course record and also presented with a pink jacket to go with the green one he won at the Masters in April.

Rose picked up $300,000, Dufner $250,000 and Harrington $200,000.

--IANS/CMC

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