Charl Schwartzel defends title at Alfred Dunhill

MALELANE, South Africa -- Charl Schwartzel successfully defended his title at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, shooting a 4-under 68 on Sunday for a four-shot victory and his first European Tour victory in a year.

Schwartzel finished with a 17-under total of 271 at Leopard Creek to secure his third Alfred Dunhill title. Richard Finch was second, while Simon Dyson, Ross Fisher and Romain Wattel tied for third.

Schwartzel held the overnight lead and made four birdies in a bogey-free final round on a course where he has a history of stellar results.

''This tournament has been very good to me,'' Schwartzel said. ''I've had lots of seconds here as well. Probably for the rest of my golfing career this will always be a special one.''

The South African has four second-place finishes here to go with his three titles. It was his second title on the European Tour since winning the Masters in 2011.

Schwartzel's ninth career win on the European Tour returned him to the top 20 in the world rankings.

The 29-year-old Schwartzel went the last 62 holes of the Alfred Dunhill without dropping a shot after a double bogey on No. 10 in his first round.

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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 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. 

KEPT ROUTINE

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."

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Rory McIlroy wins Australian Open by one shot from Adam Scott

AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL LEADERBOARD

-18: R McIlroy (NI) 

-17: A Scott (Aus) 

-11: J Senden (Aus) 

-9: B Macpherson (Aus), R Gibson (Aus)

World number six Rory McIlroy birdied the final hole to win his first tournament of 2013 with a dramatic one-shot triumph in the Australian Open.

The Northern Irishman, 24, began the final round four behind Adam Scott, who had led all week at Royal Sydney.

But McIlroy carded a fine 66, featuring an eagle at the seventh and a birdie at the last to win outright on 18 under.

World number two Scott bogeyed the 18th for a 71 to finish on 17 under, six clear of fellow Australian John Senden.

Scott, who broke the course record with a 62 on the opening day, was seeking to become only the second man, after compatriot Robert Allenby in 1995, to complete the Australian triple crown, having won the Australian PGA and Australian Masters titles last month.

But in an intriguing final day tussle on the Championship course it was McIlroy who captured his first event since the World Tour Championship in Dubai in November 2012.

Scott three-putted the first green and his four-stroke advantage had been eroded by the eighth after a fine start by 2012 US Open champion McIlroy, who produced some sparkling iron play.

Having missed a birdie chance from four feet at the seventh, Scott's putt from similar distance lipped out at the next and McIlroy was level after holing from six feet.

The Australian, who won the title in 2009, reached the turn one shot ahead after converting a six-footer for birdie and McIlroy's putt narrowly stayed out.

The final two rounds of the tournament had become something of a matchplay contest between the two biggest stars on show and holes 10 to 12 were parred by both players.

Both had eagle chances at the 13th, Scott's putt shaving the edge of the hole.

Scott had further opportunities to go two ahead, but three-putted from the front of the green at the 16th after McIlroy found a bunker, and then lipped out again at the par three 17th following a superb tee shot, with McIlroy holing a key 10-footer for par.

That meant Scott led by one with one hole to play.

However, the Australian's approach to the 18th green trickled past the flag and down the steep slope behind the green. His chip back was overhit and raced 40 feet past and the effort for par finished fractionally short.

It gave McIlroy a 10-foot putt for the title and he calmly rolled it into the centre of the cup.

"I wanted to get a win and finally I've been able to get one," said McIlroy, who was facing a first winless year since 2008. 

"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, a great competitor and probably an even better guy. I feel a bit sorry that I was the one that ruined the triple crown for him. 

"I've been building confidence for a few weeks now. When I went to Asia I started to play really well. 

"I've worked hard, I've put the hours in and I've practised hard and finally it's turned around for me."

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Adam Scott leads Rory McIlroy by four shots at Australian Open

AUSTRALIAN OPEN THIRD ROUND LEADERBOARD

-16: A Scott (Aus) 

-12: R McIlroy (NI) 

-8: R Green (Aus), M Jones (Aus), M McCardle (Aus) 

-7: N Holman (Aus), S Appleby (Aus), L McKechnie (Aus), S Arnold (Aus)

Australian Adam Scott moved a step closer to claiming his country's triple crown as he extended his lead to four strokes with one round remaining at the Australian Open.

The world number two has already won the Australian PGA and Masters titles this month and began the day two shots ahead of Rory McIlroy at Royal Sydney.

Scott birdied three holes in succession and returned a 68 to reach 16 under.

McIlroy recovered from a double bogey to card a 70 and is four behind Scott.

In bright conditions the two leading players both birdied the opening hole on the 6,939-yard par-72 Championship course.

Both dropped shots at the fourth but, as the wind whipped up at the next, McIlroy dropped into the chasing pack after undercooking successive chips from the bottom of a greenside slope and then two-putting for a double bogey.

Scott moved five clear of fellow Australians Matthew Jones and Richard Green in second but drove into the trees and then found sand to bogey the 10th.

World number six McIlroy, yet to win in 2013, responded with three birdies in five holes, his tee shot at the par three 14th clipping the pin and finishing three feet from the hole but Scott also birdied the hole after pitching to a similar distance.

Scott, 33, ensured a four-shot cushion at the last after holing from inside six feet for a birdie, with McIlroy missing his birdie opportunity from closer range.

Scott's round on Saturday means he is now 51 under par for his three tournaments in Australia. He said: "To win my national championship and then also win the three events down here 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." 

McIlroy, 24, who has finished in the top six in his last two tournaments, admitted his missed putt on the 18th was costly. He said: "It would have been nice to birdie that to make the gap from four to three. 

"I've got a tough job on my hands to try and catch Adam. 

"On this golf course there can be a lot of two-shot swings and, 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." 

World number 11 Jason Day, who carded a disappointing 74 on Friday, moved into a share of 10th with a 66, the joint best round of the day.

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Rory McIlroy two behind Adam Scott at Australian Open

AUSTRALIAN OPEN SECOND ROUND LEADERBOARD

-12: A Scott (Aus) 

-10: R McIlroy (NI) 

-9: R Green (Aus) 

-8: M Jones (Aus)

-6: B Watt (am) (Aus), L McKechnie (Aus), A Presnell (Aus), J Younger (Aus)

Rory McIlroy carded nine birdies in a round of 65 to move two shots behind leader Adam Scott after two rounds of the Australian Open at Royal Sydney.

Seven back after day one, McIlroy, yet to win this year, benefited from more favourable early conditions and reached 10 under, taking only 25 putts.

Scott endured blustery, wet afternoon weather and mixed seven birdies with a double bogey and three bogeys in a 70.

Australian left-hander Richard Green had a hole-in-one and is in third spot.

Scott's course record 62 had put him three strokes ahead on the opening day and he extended that advantage to five when he birdied the first and then holed a 50-yard chip shot for a birdie at the third.

The world number two, who will finish at the top of the Australasian Tour rankings regardless of what transpires in the final two rounds, slipped behind McIlroy after dropping three shots in two holes, but recovered to finish on 12 under for the tournament.

"It was a tough afternoon with plenty of good stuff in there but then I made a few mistakes in the tricky conditions. Overall it was pretty good and given how difficult it was, I was pleased I held it together pretty well," he said. 

"It was a day where all you could do was just hang on and try and hit as many good shots as possible. 

"And while I managed a good few birdies, if you were slightly off the bogeys were easy to come by." 

In an intriguing third-round showdown he will be paired with McIlroy, who said of his round: "As seven-unders go, I think it was a pretty comfortable one. I don't think I did anything really spectacular out there.

"I played well, putted much better today than I did yesterday too, so that was a big positive. It feels good and I'm in a great position going into the weekend."

It was the fourth time the 24-year-old Northern Irishman has posted a 65 this year, with a 64 in August's FedEx Cup opening Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston his lowest competitive round of 2013.

His best finish is second at the Texas Open in April where he was two shots behind winner Martin Laird, but in recent weeks he has shown form more reminiscent of last year when he won five titles.

McIlroy was joint sixth in the WGC Champions event in Shanghai and tied for fifth at the final European Tour event of the season, the Tour Championship in Dubai.

Peter Senior, the 54-year-old Australian who became the oldest winnerof the Australian Open last year, had two double bogeys in an 81 and missed the cut.

Meanwhile, American Kevin Streelman, who won his first PGA title at theTampa Bay Championship in March, withdrew after just four holes because of a problem with his eye.

He was taken to nearby St. Vincent's Hospital where he was informed he had a scratch on his cornea and he is awaiting advice as to whether he can travel home or, as he had intended, play in next week's Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.

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