Sydney: Greg Chalmers won his second Australian Open title to extend Tiger Woods' winless streak to two years as the former top-ranked golfer finished third.

Chalmers, an Australian left-hander ranked 215 in the world, fired a final-round 3-under-par 69 yesterday to finish one stroke ahead of countryman John Senden with a 13-under-par total of 275 at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney. He won Australia's most prestigious golf championship in 1998.

Woods, who held a one-stroke lead through 36 holes, closed with a 5-under-par 67 to secure his best finish of an injury- interrupted 2011 season. Chalmers was the runner-up when Woods won his last tournament at the 2009 Australian Masters.

‘Plugging along'

"I've just got to keep plugging along," Woods said after finishing with an 11-under total of 277.

"I've showed some progress. It's nice to be out here and competitive and actually playing golf again. It's nice not being on the sidelines."

It was Woods' second event since he missed the cut for weekend play at the PGA Championship in August and failed to qualify for the US PGA Tour's FedEx Cup play-offs.

Woods, 35, was playing in the 107-year-old Australian Open in preparation for next week's Presidents Cup. The event starts on November 17 at Australia's Royal Melbourne Golf Club, where the US team take on an international squad from outside Europe.

Trailing overnight leader Senden by six strokes going into the final round, Woods rallied with five birdies and an eagle to put himself in contention. He was one of eight golfers within three of the lead entering the last nine holes today.

Tough tee

Woods fired three birdies on the front nine before dropping his first shot on the par-5 11th after sending his drive into the sandy rough. He birdied the next hole only to bogey the par- 4 13th for the first time during the tournament.

"Thirteen is a tough tee shot," Woods told reporters. "I figured I needed to shoot somewhere around 31 on the back nine to at least give myself a chance. I thought 13 or 14 was going to be the number and I had to go and get it. Unfortunately I made a mistake."

He moved to within one of co-leaders Chalmers and Jason Day by chipping in from the fringe of a bunker for an eagle on the next hole. After making par on the 15th and 16th holes, Woods left a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th short to finish two strokes behind Chalmers, who had three holes left to play.

"It was a day that could have been really low," added Woods, who went 3-over par yesterday. "I hit the ball really good out there."

Chalmers made par on the final three holes to stay ahead of Senden, who recovered from four bogeys in his opening seven holes to card an even-par 72 and move above Woods into second. Senden missed a 35-foot birdie putt by inches that would have sent him and Chalmers into a sudden-death play-off.

"That putt looked like it was going in," Chalmers, 38, said at the presentation ceremony after taking the Stonehaven Cup and winners' cheque for A$270,000 ($277,668).

"I thought he was going to make it."

Scores

Leading final round (Australian unless stated):

  • 275 — Greg Chalmers 67-72-67-69.
  • 276 — John Senden 70-71-63-72.
  • 277 — Tiger Woods (USA) 68-67-75-67.
  • 279 — Geoff Ogilvy 70-74-70-65, Adam Scott 69-71-71-68, Nick Watney (USA) 66-73-68-72, Nick O'Hern 69-72-66-72, Jason Day 69-68-68-74.