IAS Graduate and Port Kembla golfer Lincoln Tighe came within a centimetres of securing a remarkable British Open berth when he finished in a tie for fifth at the Australian Open on Sunday. Tighe had a birdie putt on the 18th green to propel himself into one of three British Open qualifying spots, but ultimately pushed his attempt wide of the mark. He had to settle for par which saw him finish tied with South Australian golfer Nick Cullen on the leaderboard. As Cullen holds a superior world ranking, he claimed the final spot at the sport’s oldest major. Eventual champion Matt Jones and veteran Rod Pampling took out the other two spots for the tournament. Defending champion Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott finished in a tie for second, one shot behind Jones who finished at eight under. As Spieth and Scott had already locked in spots for the Open, it left two other position’s up for grabs which Pampling and Cullen claimed. A stunning final round of ten-under 61 saw Pampling surge back into contention where he eventually finished at six-under. ‘‘It’s just a nice little cherry to have at the end,” Pampling told AAP after his round. ‘‘Obviously you want to hold the trophy up but it’s certainly awesome to be getting back into the British again.” Pampling’s sensational round came at Tighe’s expense. The Port based big-hitter, who led after the first round, still had a magnificent tournament despite the gut-wrenching finish.
