Top 25 golf stories of 2013, No. 17: Vijay Singh 'suspended' for PEDs, sues PGA Tour

Vijay Singh was nearly suspended for using a banned substance, but wasn't after months of haggling and deliberations. As the controversy was settling down, Singh then dropped a bomb of a lawsuit on the PGA Tour at their marquee event.

It was a forgettable 2013 for Vijay Singh on the course, but he still garnered plenty of headlines off it with his ties to a previously banned substance and his subsequent lawsuit against the PGA Tour.

The situation began when Singh was tied to deer antler spray use provided by a company called Sports With Alternatives to Steroids (SWATS). Singh was one of several pro athletes listed in a Sports Illustrated article about the substance, which contains IGF-1. In the article, which was published in January (most notably for mentioning Ray Lewis just before the Super Bowl), Singh admitted to frequently using the deer antler spray.

That article set off a series of events which continued through most of the PGA Tour season. The IGF-1 substance was on the PGA Tour's list of banned substances, and the Tour opened an investigation into Singh's use after his admission in the article.

Now thrust into the middle of a doping scandal, Singh pulled out of the Phoenix Open, in order to not be a distraction. There was very little news about the situation through February and PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said the Tour was in no rush to decide on how to handle the situation.

McIlroy's 2013 'a lot better' after win in Oz

Rory McIlroy may have apologized to the fans Sunday for spoiling Adam Scott’s bid for the Australian triple crown, but make no mistake: His deep exhale after holing the winning putt on the 72^nd hole showed just how much this drought-busting victory truly meant to him.

“It’s frustrating, because you know the level of golf you can play but you just aren’t able to play at that level,” McIlroy told reporters afterward, via The Age in Australia. “You’re working hard, you’re trying to find the reasons why … It’s frustrating, but I never lost belief. Golf is a long career, I’m 24 years old, and I can get a bit impatient at times. If I take a step back and look at the big picture, it hasn’t been too bad of a year. It’s been made a lot better with this win.”

As lost as he had looked at times this season, the former world No. 1 was clearly rounding into the form just as the season began to draw to a close. His run started with a T-2 at the OneAsia Tour’s Kolon Korean Open, and he followed that up with back-to-back top-6 finishes at the WGC-HSBC Champions and DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

A year after winning five events and capturing Player of the Year honors on both sides of the pond, McIlroy was still winless, but he had displayed enough good form that Tiger Woods, among others, predicted that the 24-year-old would not go winless for 2013.

Woods proved prophetic, if only because Scott’s putter stopped cooperating on the back nine at Royal Sydney. There was a two-shot swing on the final hole – McIlroy sank a 15-footer for birdie, Scott bogeyed after sailing his approach over the green – and the former world No. 1 avoided his first winless season since 2008. He’s still scheduled to play in Woods’ tournament next week in California. 

“You have to go through the lows, and I’m not saying it was a low this year because it’s not like I have plummeted off the face of the earth,” McIlroy said, according to the report. “I’m still sixth in the world, so it’s not that bad. It’s not the level I feel like I can play to, but I feel like I’m getting back there.” 

McIlroy shocks Scott to dominate Australian Open

SYDNEY: Double Major-winner Rory McIlroy won the Australian Open on Sunday with a birdie at the final hole, pipping home favorite Adam Scott, to secure his first tournament victory of 2013.

Scott was leading by a stroke with one hole to play and looked certain to become only the second player ever to capture the Australian “Triple Crown.”

However, the world number two bogeyed the last and McIlroy holed a birdie putt to win by a shot with 18 under par at the Royal Sydney course.

Scott said he misjudged the wind and took too much club on the last, blowing his bid to add a home Open title to his victories at the Australian PGA Championship and Australian Masters.

“I am gutted, I felt like I never had a better chance to win the Australian Open,” Scott said after his defeat.

“It was going to be a tough day, Rory made his move and I just couldn’t get my putts in.”

The US Masters champion’s error on the final shot in front of a stunned crowd opened the door for McIlroy, who said the Australian “gave me a couple of lifelines and I was able to take advantage of that on the last.”

“Adam congratulated me on the green. It was hard not to feel some guilt in the way that I won it,” he said, adding that he never lost belief despite struggling for consistency.

“To be able to play your best golf when you need to, when you’re under pressure, you can’t ask for more,” said McIlroy.

“The perfect scenario was to achieve a win before the end of the season and thankfully I have done that.”

Scott started Sunday’s final round with a comfortable four-shot lead over second-placed McIlroy, but an eagle on seven closed the gap and the Northern Irishman drew level with a birdie on the eighth.

Scott edged ahead again, but said he “slightly misread a few” shots towards the end, handing McIlroy victory in his first Australian Open in seven years.

Adam Scott on course to become Wizard of Oz with triple crown of homeland tournaments within reach

AUSTRALIAN Adam looks set to add the Australian Open to his collection of home land championships, with the PGA and Masters trophies already in his cabinet.

PATRIOTIC Adam Scott admits he is pinching himself as he homes in on winning Aussie golf’s triple crown of titles.

The Oz star goes into the final round of the Australian Open four shots ahead of Rory McIlroy – and he can’t quite believe it.

Scott has already cleaned up with the Australian PGA and Masters titles this month in front of his home crowd.

And he could add the Open at the Royal Sydney Golf Club is he keeps his nerve.

He said: “It is an unbelievable spot to be in. Before this month started, I hadn’t ever won two tournaments in a row so to have this opportunity is a bit unreal.

“If you’d told me a month ago, I wouldn’t have believed you.

“There’s one round to go but a lot can happen. Rory is a phenomenon and I’m sure he’s going to throw plenty at me ... but as long as the eye stays in with the putter, I think I should hold on.”

Scott’s third-round 68 included three birdies and two bogeys but it still helped him to 16-under-par and pull four shots clear of McIlroy who hit trouble early on in yesterday’s round.

The Northern Ireland star stumbled with a bogey on the fourth and a double bogey on the fifth, before recovering with four birdies between the seventh and 14th helping him to a round of 70.

But the pair are out on their own with Matthew Jones, Richard Green and Max McCardie in a three-way tie for third a further four shots behind McIlroy.

McCardie was the only one showing any form after firing a fine 69 while Jones and Green could only muster a 72 and 73 respectively.

McIlroy, 24, admits he has a difficult job to catch Scott – but didn’t rule it out.

He said: “It’s a tough ask. I played a good back nine but could have done better.

“But on this course there can be a lot of two-shot swings. If someone makes a couple of pars and someone gets off to a fast start and makes a birdie and an eagle, you’re right back in it.”

“There’s plenty of chances out there and it’s just a matter of taking your opportunities when they come.”

Another Aussie Stuart Appleby moved joint sixth with a round of 67 while Jason Day got himself into the top 10 with a 66 – the joint best round of the day.

Hideki Matsuyama becomes first rookie to top Japan Golf Tour money list

Hideki Matsuyama became the first rookie to win the Japan Golf Tour money list Sunday when the 21 year old clinched his fourth victory of the season at the Casio World Open.

Matsuyama only turned professional in April but capped a brilliant debut season by pipping Yuta Ikeda at the Kochi Kuroshio Country Club course in southern Japan.

He held on to his overnight lead to defeat Ikeda by just one stroke with a final round 70 for a 12-under-par total of 276.

“It makes me happy to win a tournament and clinch the money title at a course where I practised golf when I was in middle school and high school,” Matsuyama said.

“I have never played so patiently in tournaments in which I led going into the final round. I managed to hold on,” he added after picking up the winners cheque of 40 million yen (Dh1.5m).

Matsuyama made headlines in 2010 when he captured the Asian Amateur Championship, earning a ticket to the 2011 US Masters as the first Japanese amateur to do so.

There he won leading amateur and has since found the transition to the professional ranks an easy one.

His victory on Sunday increased his winnings for the year to an unassailable 201 million yen with one more tournament left in the Japan tour’s 25-event season.

He is only the third player to break the 200 million yen mark following Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki in 1994 and 1996 and Toshimitsu Izawa in 2001.

Remarkably, Matsuyama, who is due to graduate university in March, achieved the feat by playing in just 13 domestic tournaments – around 10 fewer than most tour regulars.

The Casio World Open was Matsuyama’s fifth victory at a Japan Tour event. As an amateur in 2011 he won the high-profile Taiheiyo Masters by two strokes.

Second on the money list was South Korea’s Kim Hyung-Sung at 124 million yen. Japan’s Shingo Katayama was third at 110 million yen.

Matsuyama has yet to win abroad but has impressed at the majors. He was tied sixth in his debut at the British Open this year, finished joint 10th at the US Open and 19th at the PGA Championship.

Rory McIlroy salvages lost 2013

The ball barely made it to the hole, Rory McIlroy watching it tumble over the front edge and into the cup, the strange sound of murmuring and groaning enveloping the green at Royal Sydney on Sunday.

In a finish befitting the other sporting events of the weekend, McIlroy stunned the heavily-pro Adam Scott crowd in Australia with a 72nd- hole birdie to steal the Australian Open and win for the first time in a long, frustrating 2013 season.

In doing so he put an end to the Scotty Slam, denying the Masters champion a final victory in what was a month-long coronation and celebration of his Masters victory in April.

As disappointing as the outcome was for Scott, the victory was huge for McIlroy, 24, who suffered through a tumultuous season that saw him beginning the year ranked No. 1 in the world, only to fall hard off his lofty perch.

"I wanted to get a win by the end of the season and finally I've been able to get one," said McIlroy, whose final-round 66 overcame a 4-stroke deficit to begin Sunday. "But more satisfying is being able to take on one of the best players in the world down the stretch and to come out on top.

"I feel a bit sorry that I was the one to ruin the Triple Crown for him. But I'm very happy. Adam is a credit to the game and a credit to this country."

McIlroy's graciousness was impressive considering the rather shocking end to his slump and the tournament. Nobody would have blamed the Northern Irishman had he been at a loss for words.

The Australian television commentators, including 1991 Open Championship winner Ian Baker-Finch, certainly had trouble describing what they had just witnessed. Clearly wanting to see Scott finish off a remarkable Aussie summer and overall season with a fifth worldwide victory, they had to regroup and offer credit where it was due.

"It shows how fickle the game of golf can be," said Baker-Finch.

McIlroy began the day four strokes behind Scott, tied it with an eagle-birdie flurry at the seventh and eighth holes, then fell a stroke behind at the ninth and was never able to close that gap until the unlikely events of the 18th.

When Scott's approach to the final hole bounded over the green, there was an opening. McIlroy knocked his to 12 feet, and when Scott hit a poor chip and two-putted for bogey, suddenly McIlroy had a chance to win. And did.

Scott, 33, said afterward that he hit too much club for his second to the 18th, lamented a putter gone cold and was "gutted" by the outcome.

No doubt.

The reigning Masters champ was about to accomplish quite the impressive feat, victories in all three of Australia's biggest tournaments. Only Robert Allenby in 2005 had ever swept all three events in the same year.

Scott had brought the green jacket Down Under, a gift to his countrymen as part of a November victory lap in which he celebrated his Masters triumph while also playing in Australia's three major golf tournaments -- not to mention the World Cup, which he and Jason Day captured the team title a week ago.

But Scott did more than just show up and show off the symbol of his most significant victory.

He won the Australian PGA, completing a career sweep of the Aussie biggies. He defended his title at the Talisker Masters. And then after teaming with Day to win the World Cup (where Scott was third in the individual portion), he seemed poised for the Aussie Triple Crown.

Scott shot an opening-round 62, and then weathered McIlroy's challenge all weekend, playing the final 36 holes head to head, forging a 4-shot advantage and then clinging to a one-stroke edge as the putts failed to drop on Sunday.

The Aussie had numerous chances to put McIlroy away, burning the edge on more cups than he could count. The telling numbers: Scott had 24 putts in shooting 62 on Thursday, but took 34 on Sunday in a 71.

And, finally, McIlroy took advantage.

It has been a strange year for McIlroy, who won his last tournament 53 weeks ago in Dubai to cap a season in which he claimed the money titles on both the PGA Tour and European Tour while also claiming each circuit's player of the year honors.

He entered 2013 as a solid No. 1, armed with a multi-million-dollar Nike endorsement deal. But by March, McIlroy had yet to contend in a tournament and eventually dropped to No. 6 in the world.

There were issues with his clubs and his confidence, not to mention off-the course problems with his management company that led to an on-going legal battle. Having won a major championship in 2011 and 2012, he was a non-factor in the big ones in 2013.

It all seemingly added up to a lost year, but McIlroy began to find some form through a season-ending trek that has seen him play five tournaments -- with one to go next week at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge.

"I never lost belief," McIlroy said. "Golf is a long career and I'm only 24, but perhaps I pushed a little too hard this year."

It would have been easy to bank the appearance fee McIlroy received for going to Sydney and allow Scott to bask in his country's adulation. Nobody would have found fault with McIlroy coming in second given the circumstances, and certainly there were numerous opportunities to slink away.

But McIlroy never did. He held firm against arguably the best player in the world at the moment, and swiped away the trophy when Scott blinked.

The ending was stunning, no doubt. But for McIlroy, plenty satisfying.

Bhullar triumphs at Indonesia Open

Jakarta, Indonesia - Gaganjeet Bhullar fired a 3-under-par 68 on Sunday to seal a wire-to-wire victory at the Indonesia Open.

Bhullar finished 72 holes on the Pantai Indah Kapuk Course at Damai Indah Golf at 16-under-par 268, securing his fifth career Asian Tour title in the process.

Nicholas Fung (66) and Chapchai Nirat (66) shared second place at 13-under, while Siddikur Rahman (67) grabbed solo fourth at minus-12. Jyoti Randhawa (69) placed fifth at 11-under and overnight co-leader Jazz Janewattananond tripped to a 74 and shared sixth with three others at 10-under.

Bhullar got off to a measured start, parring his first 10 holes, but he picked up the pace as the field threatened, starting with a birdie at the 11th. He added further birdies at Nos. 13 and 14, then, after play was suspended for over an hour due to inclement weather, returned to the course and parred four straight to seal the win.

Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/12/01/3874823/bhullar-triumphs-at-indonesia.html#storylink=cpy

Rory McIlroy delighted to be winning again in Australia

Rory McIlroy insisted he had put off-course distractions behind him as he celebrated a thrilling one-shot win over Adam Scott at the Australian Open.

Scott led by four shots going into the final day, but Northern Irishman McIlroy birdied the last for a 66 to clinch his first win of 2013.

"Since the end of September, I have just felt in a better place mentally," said world number six McIlroy.

"Everything has been coming together the way I wanted."

McIlroy, who won five times around the world in 2012, including a second major when he won the US PGA Championship, admitted 2013 had been a frustrating year "with some things off the course".

Such well-publicised distractions for the former world number one included falling out with his management company,changing golf clubs as part of a massive sponsorship deal, and rumours that he and tennis-player girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki had broken up. 

McIlroy's narrow Sydney success over Masters champion Scott was his first tournament win since the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last November.

Overnight leader Scott, the world number two, started and finished with bogeys as he carded a 71, letting slip the chance to complete the triple crown of Australian golf - the Australian Masters, PGA and Open in the same season.

"I cannot believe I have won," said 24-year-old McIlroy. "I did not think it would unfold the way it did.

"On the 18th, I thought I might have the chance of a play-off. Then, all of a sudden, I had a putt to win and didn't want extra holes.

"For that last putt, I just focused on my normal routine and didn't think about it being my first win of the year.

"I thought I had blown my chance on 16, putting my second shot in the bunker and not making a birdie.

"Then at 17 Scotty was close to making a birdie but didn't.

"I just stayed patient because I knew anything could happen on this course.

"Adam put it in a tricky spot on 18 and luckily I was able to make that putt when I needed it.

"It has been a frustrating year, but I have worked hard. It has been a process, getting back to winning golf tournaments again."

Australian Open 2013: Rory McIlroy records his first victory of the year

Rory McIlroy buried his 2013 title drought in the most dramatic fashion at the Australian Open on Sunday and said he thought a largely frustrating season might just make him a more complete player.

The Northern Irishman had a brilliant 2012 but a change of equipment and some off-course legal distractions coincided with a slump in form that saw him slide from number one in the world down to number six.

On Sunday, though, the 24-year-old re-entered the winners' circle when he birdied the 18th hole to snatch the title away from U.S. Masters champion and home favourite Adam Scott with the final stroke of the tournament.

"I think I'm more experienced, more patient," he said when asked what he had learnt this year.

"Not getting as down on myself or not being as hard on myself because golf is a long career and you can't have too many highs and lows in terms of emotions.

"You've just got to try and keep it on an even keel and I feel like I've done a better job of that this year as the months have gone past.

"You know you have to go through the lows," he added. "And I'm not saying it was a low this year, it's not like I plummeted off the face of the earth.

"I'm still sixth in the world so it's not too bad. It's not the level that I feel like I can play to but I feel I'm getting back there, so it's very pleasing."

McIlroy admitted to a little guilt at the manner of his victory, which came when Scott bogeyed the last to give up a one-shot lead in a tournament he had dominated.

Presented with his chance, though, McIlroy showed the nerves of a two-time major champion to drain a 10-foot putt and join the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as winners of the Stonehaven Cup.

"I thought worst case scenario I'd have a putt for a play off and then all of a sudden I have a putt for the win. I didn't want to go extra holes," he said.

"All I focused on in the putt was my routine. I didn't do anything differently. I didn't think about whether it was to win the Australian Open or whether it was to get the first win this year."

After missing out on the U.S. PGA Tour playoffs, McIlroy arrived in Asia and said he immediately felt his game was improving.

He plays one more tournament at Tiger Woods's World Challenge next week before embarking on his preparations for the 2014 season.

"I always said I just wanted to build some momentum for next year and I felt like I was doing that," he said.

"The perfect scenario would have been a win before the end of the season and thankfully I was able to do that.

"I've still got one more tournament left to try and get that second win on the board.

"That was the only thing that was missing from this little stretch.

"I feel like I played well but just hadn't quite gotten across the finish line and doing that today was very satisfying but doing it going up against one of the best players in the world right now is probably even better."

Golf - Indian Bhullar cruises to first win of year in Indonesia

Big-hitting Indian Gaganjeet Bhullar claimed his fifth Asian Tour victory by easing to a three-stroke win at the $750,000 Indonesia Open on Sunday.

The 25-year-old stayed focused despite a lengthy delay caused by the threat of lightning as he posted a closing three-under-par 68 for a 16-under total of 268.

Bhullar parred the first 10 holes before birdying three out of the next four.

The players were then forced off the course but he returned an hour later to clinch the title with four more pars.

"Winning takes a lot of patience," he told the tour after recording his first win of the year.

"I'm glad I stayed patient and showed a lot of confidence. It was difficult for me when play was suspended - I find it hard to regain my momentum - but these kind of scenarios are common in Asia."

Victory provided welcome relief for Bhullar after he came last at the World Cup in Australia a week ago.

Malaysia's Nicholas Fung (66) finished tied second alongside Thailand's Chapchai Nirat (66).

McIlroy breaks title drought but learns from frustrations

SYDNEY: Rory McIlroy buried his 2013 title drought in the most dramatic fashion at the Australian Open on Sunday and said he thought a largely frustrating season might just make him a more complete player.

The Northern Irishman had a brilliant 2012 but a change of equipment and some off-course legal distractions coincided with a slump in form that saw him slide from number one in the world down to number six.

On Sunday, though, the 24-year-old re-entered the winners' circle when he birdied the 18th hole to snatch the title away from US Masters champion and home favourite Adam Scott with the final stroke of the tournament.

"I think I'm more experienced, more patient," he said when asked what he had learnt this year. "Not getting as down on myself or not being as hard on myself because golf is a long career and you can't have too many highs and lows in terms of emotions.

"You've just got to try and keep it on an even keel and I feel like I've done a better job of that this year as the months have gone past.

"You know you have to go through the lows," he added. "And I'm not saying it was a low this year, it's not like I plummeted off the face of the earth.

"I'm still sixth in the world so it's not too bad. It's not the level that I feel like I can play to but I feel I'm getting back there, so it's very pleasing."

McIlroy admitted to a little guilt at the manner of his victory, which came when Scott bogeyed the last to give up a one-shot lead in a tournament he had dominated.

Rory McIlroy ends title drought with win in Australia

Rory McIlroy was doubly satisfied after he claimed his first title in over a year with a dramatic one-shot victory at the Australian Open in Sydney.

The Northern Irishman birdied the 18th as Adam Scott bogeyed to bring to an end a miserable run of form. His struggles this year are in sharp contrast to his successes in 2012 when he won five times around the world, including claiming a second major title when he won the US PGA Championship by eight shots.

The former world number one began the day four shots behind Australian Scott but a round of 66 - highlighted by an eagle on the par-five seventh - powered him to victory as the reigning Masters champion faltered.

The overnight leader started and finished with bogeys as he carded a 71, letting slip what would have been his second Australian Open title and the triple crown of Australian golf - the Australian Masters, PGA and Open in the same season - achieved only once before by Robert Allenby in 2005.

Instead, McIlroy can celebrate a first tournament win since the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last November.

He told a press conference: “Since the end of September I have felt better with how my swing was, I felt that everything was coming together the way I wanted it to.

“It’s been a frustrating year - I’ve worked hard and it’s been a process, trying to get back to winning golf tournaments again.

“It was nice to be able to do it today.”

McIlroy rediscovers winning touch in Sydney

Rory McIlroy was doubly satisfied after he claimed his first title in over a year with a dramatic one-shot victory at the Australian Open in Sydney.

The Irishman birdied the 18th as Adam Scott bogeyed to bring to an end a miserable run of form. His struggles this year are in sharp contrast to his successes in 2012 when he won five times around the world, including claiming a second major title when he won the US PGA Championship by eight shots.

The former world number one began the day four shots behind Australian Scott but a round of 66 – highlighted by an eagle on the par-five seventh – powered him to victory as the reigning Masters champion faltered.

The overnight leader started and finished with bogeys as he carded a 71, letting slip what would have been his second Australian Open title and the triple crown of Australian golf – the Australian Masters, PGA and Open in the same season – achieved only once before by Robert Allenby in 2005.

Instead, McIlroy can celebrate a first tournament win since the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last November.

He told a press conference: “Since the end of September I have felt better with how my swing was, I felt that everything was coming together the way I wanted it to.

“It’s been a frustrating year – I’ve worked hard and it’s been a process, trying to get back to winning golf tournaments again.

“It was nice to be able to do it today.”

He added on Channel Seven: “I wanted to get a win by the end of the season and finally I have been able to get one.

“But more satisfying than that is being able to take one of the best players in the world down the stretch and come out on top.

“Adam is a phenomenal golfer and a great competitor and probably even a better guy.

“I feel a bit sorry I was the one to ruin the triple crown for him and I am very happy and Adam should be very proud of himself – he is a credit to the game and a credit to this country.

“It is a very prestigious tournament – Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, it seems like most of the greats of the game have won this tournament and I am honoured to put my name on that trophy.”

After the third-round tussle between the two failed to ignite, Sunday proved a much better encounter.

McIlroy followed up his eagle with a birdie from close range at the eighth to take a share of the lead.

Scott replied with a birdie on the ninth after an outstanding iron shot to regain the advantage, and after matching birdies on the 13th they headed to the final hole with Scott still up by one.

But the Australian put himself in trouble when he missed the green and then overhit a chip to leave himself with a long putt.

He could only bogey and that left McIlroy with the fairly simple task of rolling it in from five metres for the win.

Scott did not attempt to hide his devastation, saying: “I felt I did everything right.

“I was concerned how I was going to hit it today because I haven’t been swinging the club very well for the last two weeks and I played really nicely, but the putter didn’t behave itself. But that’s the way golf is.

“I’m gutted, I felt I’d never have a better chance to win the Aussie Open.

“I just slightly misjudged a few putts, overplayed the break, missed a lot of putts on the high side and didn’t quite have the eye in – and it always gets a lot trickier on the Sunday.

“But I just misjudged on the last and a player as good as Rory is going to take that opportunity.”

John Senden, the 2006 champion, equalled McIlroy’s six-under 66 to finish third at 11 under, thereby qualifying for the 2014 Open at Royal Liverpool.

Rhein Gibson and Bryden Macpherson both carded three-under 69s to finish in a share of fourth at nine under the card and also book their places at next year’s British Open.

Jason Day posted a two-under 70 to finish at minus eight alongside New Zealander Mark Brown (69) and Matt Jones (72).

Scott has excellent shot at Aussie triple crown

Adam Scott shot a 4-under-par 68 to take a four-shot lead over Rory McIlroy heading into the final round of the Australian Open in Sydney and move closer to an Australian triple crown.

Scott is trying to match Robert Allenby’s 2005 accomplishment of winning the Open, Australian Masters and Australian PGA in succession.

Scott shot a course-record 62 on the first day and followed with a second-round 70. Yesterday’s round of six birdies and two bogeys moved him to 16-under 200 for the tournament.

McIlroy started the day two shots behind Scott and lost ground with a bogey and double-bogey against five birdies, finishing with a 70.

•  Charl Schwartzel opened a two-shot lead after three rounds at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Malelane, South Africa.

The defending champion, Schwartzel shot a 5-under 67 to move to 13 under and pull away from England’s Richard Finch. Victor Riu of France was at 10 under.