Appleby wins Aussie Masters

Stuart Appleby added another legendary name to the JBWere Masters honour roll, but Tiger Woods gave the tournament an even greater boost in a drama-packed finish at Victoria Golf Club yesterday.

Appleby, 39, made a mockery of poor midweek form to fire an equal tournament low six-under 65 to finish at 10 under, one clear of the plucky Adam Bland who led throughout the event and by as much as five shots after six holes yesterday.

It wasn’t until his back-to-back birdies on the two closing holes that Appleby finally shook Bland and an emotion-charged Daniel Gaunt to add his third Australian PGA Tour title and first since the Australian Open in 2001.

But after starting his round in the same flat, luckless fashion as had been his way this week, Woods finally caught fire to get the big crowd roaring.

Woods played his final six holes in six under — including two eagles and a couple of trademark Tiger pumps — to storm through the field to finish at seven under after a 65.

And while organisers were thrilled his almost customary charge gave fans a memory of a lifetime, they were ecstatic when he threw his enormous weight behind keeping the event in Melbourne on the same dates next year.

For good measure, Woods said he’d love to come back for a third successive year — and bring his American Presidents Cup teammates with him.

“I think it’s going to (Kingston) Heath,” Woods said, all but confirming a badly kept secret.

“I’d love to come back and play, no doubt.

Asked whether it should be the lead-in event to the Presidents Cup, which starts a year from today, Woods said: “I think so.

“This has been an incredible event (with) incredible people.

“I think it will be a great tournament (in 2011) and a great prep for all the American players to come down and play.”

Still bedding in substantial swing changes and carrying his practice putter after deserting his regular blade after the third round, Woods bemoaned that his charge hadn’t come sooner in defence of the title he won at Kingston Heath last year.

“It would have been nice if I’d got off to a start (to match),” he said.

“But it’s too little, too late.

“I can do it in streaks, but I haven’t done it for an entire round yet (but) I’m pleased with the progress.

“It’s amazing what happens when you get a putt to the hole.”

His name was never on the leaderboard until his final-hole eagle salvo rocked the grandstands.

That honour had been shared by Bland and Gaunt, who critically had two double-bogeys late on both sides of the course.

Yet for a great part of the afternoon, Shepparton’s Jarrod Lyle also looked capable of his maiden Australian tour victory, but his normally accurate short game went cold at the crucial time.

Lyle finished tied for fifth at six under with Andre Stolz, whose three consecutive early bogeys dashed his chances.