Australian Masters: Peter Senior becomes oldest winner of gold jacket

Peter Senior has become the oldest winner in the history of the Australian Masters.

Australian golfer Peter Senior celebrates after winning the Australian Masters Golf Tournament at Huntingdale Golf Course in Melbourne.

Peter Senior has become the oldest winner in the history of the Australian Masters. Senior, who won the Australian PGA at the age of 51 and the Australian Open at the age of 53, secured his third gold jacket at the age of 56 with a composed final round at Huntingdale Golf Club.

The tour veteran signalled his intent over the opening two holes of the day, starting birdie-birdie to grab a share of the lead with Matthew Millar. He gave that back with bogeys at the fourth and fifth, but there was no stopping the veteran thereafter as he made birdies at four of his next eight holes.

With others stumbling around him, Senior — who has made over $6 million spent since joining the Champions Tour in the United States in 2010 — was suddenly in possession of a three-shot lead in the latter stages of the final round.

There were some late nerves, particularly when he made bogey at the 17th to drop back to eight under. Moments before that little-known Andrew Evans made birdie to get to eight under as well.

However, Evans slipped up when he found the fairway bunker at the 17th and Senior showed his mettle as he sunk a tricky putt from three metres at the last to sign for a 68 and become the first player to complete the triple crown in his 50s.

While Senior celebrated an historic victory, world No.12 Adam Scott struggled to pick up momentum as he closed his tournament with a two under par 69 to finish four shots behind Senior.

Australian golfer Peter Senior celebrates after winning the Australian Masters Golf Tournament at Huntingdale Golf Course in Melbourne.

Scott never recovered from a woeful third round which left him struggling to keep pace with the leaders.

“I think I played okay,” Scott said.

“It’s kind of hard to know after yesterday left my head spinning a little bit. I just played so poorly.

“It was some of the worst golf I have played this year and that was really disappointing. I came out and found something.I had a few drives down the middle of the fairway today and that was good.

“The course played very different today. The greens firmed up. There were some real Sunday pins so it was tough to get it close. It was a big ask to be able to go low today.

“It is a bit of a story of my golf this year. Even when I have been playing well there has been a few shots here and there, errant, that are costly.

“Momentum is such a big thing in a tournament — 27 holes in I am running and then just a couple of bogeys turn things the other way.

“Around tough tournament golf courses it makes all the difference. The good golf is good and that’s what I have to focus on going into next week.”

Any hope Scott had of victory dissipated at the par four 15th when he took bogey.

“I thought if I could at least post something - but again the last three holes are no snack at all,” Scott said.

“Even though I did try to go at pins coming in, it is just hard to get it close and convert. I felt like if I could post seven (under) after the 14th hole, you just never know.

“I was trying but it is a big ask.”

Asked about Senior’s success, Scott said: “Absolutely it is (remarkable). But it shouldn’t be a surprise – he won the PGA not that long ago.

“Around courses like this, I will say it’s very similar to the Open Championship, anyone good enough to be in the field can win it because length isn’t a big thing, and accuracy is.

“Pete has based his career around being very accurate and precise. He is a hell of a competitor.”

Australian golfer Peter Senior (centre) celebrates after winning the Australian Masters with his son and caddy Mitch (left) and wife June at Huntingdale Golf Course in Melbourne.