By John Huggan Happily for the no-doubt large galleries that will swarm over The Australian Golf Club for the final round of this ever-more exciting MFS Australian Open, any number of possible winners remain in contention with 18 holes to play. Past champion Robert Allenby leads alongside compatriot James Nitties, but the pair will be casting wary eyes through the well-stocked leader board through Stuart Appleby in third place and, two shots back, a couple of men with a bit of history. Three years ago, in what was the final Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne Craig Parry and Nick O&aposHern provided one of the most memorable tournament finishes in years. It was fascinating play-off to watch. On each of the four holes it took to separate O&aposHern and Parry, the former struck his approach shot closer to the cup than did his opponent. On the first of those holes, Parry&aposs first three shots left him still outside the left-handed O&aposHern, whose ball lay six yards from the hole in two. Yet it was Parry who won, for the twenty-second time worldwide in his 23-year professional career, a fact that left him happy but understandably sympathetic towards his unlucky opponent, who has so often come up just short on Sunday afternoons. “It&aposs one that got away from Nick really,” recalls the 42-year old Sydney resident. “I definitely feel sorry for him. He could have quite easily won it a few times. I was out of it, no question.” Parry was being unnecessarily modest. While his rather rotund physique and slightly ungainly swing “its enough to make Ben Hogan puke,” said former Open and US Open champion Johnny Miller in a less than complimentary moment make him an unlikely contender for stardom, his has been an outstanding career, one for which he owes no apologies to anyone. Last time this reporter looked, putting was part of golf, 50 percent if you want to be exact. But he&aposs always been more than a good putter under pressure. While Parry&aposs swing isn t one you&aposd pick out in a crowd of ten-handicappers, his &aposover the top&apos method and oh-so reliable fade have made him a rich man and a consistent winner. He is one of only two Australians with a World Golf Championship title to his name, the 2002 NEC Invitational. And who can forget the 6-iron he holed at Doral&aposs final hole to beat Scott Verplank to the 2004 Ford Championship? One event he didn&apost win lives on his mind, though. Leading the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie with seven holes to play, Parry was de-railed by a rough-strewn triple bogey seven at the 12th hole. “I had wanted to hit a 1-iron from the tee but my caddie talked me into a driver,” he recalls. “I missed the fairway and had to hit a wedge out. But I got a flier; the ball went about 180 yards and finished in the really long stuff. I was lucky to find it and moved the ball only about two feet. Then I took four more to get down. “Later, I made a double-bogey at the 17th, after missing a shortish putt for birdie at the 16th. At the end I missed the play-off by a shot. That said, I was five behind Jean Van de Velde as we played the last and I already knew I needed to make a two to tie Justin Leonard and Paul Lawrie. So it was gone before I holed a bunker shot for a birdie three. “At the end I was so gutted, shattered really. It was a bit like Nick must have felt at Royal Melbourne.” Both will be hoping for better things at The Australian in a final round that promises much for both men, amongst others. May the best putter win.
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