The final round of the 2015 Melbourne Senior Classic concluded this morning as players took to Woodlands GC in pursuit of one of the final titles of the 2015 Victorian Senior Order of Merit calendar.
Players faced more comfortable conditions to that of yesterday’s opening round, with a drop in temperature providing ideal scoring conditions for the final round. A host of players remained in the hunt in both the gross & nett championships after the first round. Six shots separated the top ten players in the overnight gross standings, whilst only four strokes separated the top ten players in the nett championship, setting the scene for a tight finish.
A countback was needed to decide a winner in the nett championship, with Royal Park’s Tugo Tucun & overnight nett leader Jim Maher (Howlong) finishing the event with a two round nett total of 144. In the end, it was Tucun who survived the countback after a solid final round of 72 nett gave the 22 marker the handicap honours of this year’s event.
In the gross championship, Portsea’s Alan Bullas managed to reel in overnight leader Ken O’Brien (Rossdale) to sneak home by one stroke from defending champion Andrew Hansen (Eastern). Bullas finished with a two round total of 151 after a somewhat shaky start which saw bogey’s at two of the first four holes jeopardize Bullas’ tilt at the championship.
Steady play over the middle stretch combined with a late birdie at the 16th saw Bullas claim this year’s Melbourne Senior Classic title with Hansen falling just shy of back to back titles on a two round total of 152. The Sands Torquay’s David Mallet, overnight leader O’Brien & current Doug Bachli Trophy leader Ian Frost (Bendigo) finished in a tie for third place just two strokes adrift on 153.
Play now moves to the final event of the 2015 Victorian Senior Order of Merit calendar the Moyne Senior Classic at Port Fairy GC Thursday 26 – Friday 27 November.