Australian Nathan Holman won the European Tour co-sanctioned Australian PGA Championship in a three-way playoff at Royal Pines Sunday. Holman won on the first playoff hole with a par from American Harold Varner III and South Africa's Dylan Frittelli. Holman worked his way into contention for the playoff with a final round one-over 73 in tough playing conditions. It was the second consecutive year the Gold Coast tournament was decided beyond the regulation 72 holes, but unlike last year's marathon seven-hole playoff between Australians Greg Chalmers, Adam Scott and Wade Ormsby, only one hole was needed. Holman, 24, held his nerve to make par on the 18th hole — one of the toughest in the new-look back nine at Royal Pines — while Varner and Frittelli both made bogeys. The last international player to win the event was New Zealand's Greg Turner in 1989. For his victory Holman will receive a full European Tour card for the next two years following a new co-sanctioning agreement with the Australian PGA. Holman, Varner and Frittelli all finished on even par 288 for the tournament, a reflection of the windy conditions and the uncompromising nature of the remodeled back nine. Varner only narrowly missed a nine-foot putt at the last, which would have seen him claim outright victory. Holman looked poised to win it much earlier until nerves set in and he gave up back-to-back bogeys on the final two holes — the only blemishes on his card aside from a double-bogey on the first. Zander Lombard, the 20-year-old former South African amateur who was tied for the overnight lead with Varner and Frittelli, finished fourth after a four-over-par 76. Only six players managed to complete their final rounds below par, with the best score coming from Adam Stephens and South African Colin Nel, who both fired two-under-par 70s. Watson leads in Bahamas Bubba Watson holed out with a 7-iron for eagle and tied the course record with a 9-under 63 Saturday to build a two-shot lead after three rounds at the Hero World Challenge. Watson tied the record at Albany Golf Club set 10 minutes earlier by Paul Casey, who made nine birdies in his first 13 holes before closing with five pars for his 63 that left him two shots behind. The tee times were moved up to avoid afternoon storms, and the conditions could not have been more ideal. Defending champion Jordan Spieth had a 68, leaving him four shots behind. Six players are separated by four shots. Tournament host Tiger Woods spent most of the day following along in a cart. Feng opens 5-shot lead In Florida, China's Simin Feng shot a 3-under 69 Saturday on the Hills Course to take a five-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. The 20-year-old Feng shot had a 15-under 272 total at LPGA International. The top 20 finishers Sunday will earn full LPGA Tour cards, and Nos. 21-45 and ties will receive conditional status. Cydney Clanton and South Korea's Julie Yang were tied for second. Yang had a 71 on the Jones Course, and Clanton shot a 72 on the Hills Course. Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods' niece, had a 73 on the Jones Course to drop from a tie for 16th into a tie for 24th at 3 under. — Agencies
