Lucas Herbert collected the biggest payday of his fledgling professional golf career when he finished second in the New South Wales Open in Sydney.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A birdie on the final hole at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club clinched Herbert outright second place and a cheque for $40,800.
The 21-year-old, who finished six shots behind runaway winner Jason Scrivener, is now in 11th place on the Australasian PGA Tour order of merit heading into Thursday’s Australian Open in Sydney.
Herbert started the final round of the NSW Open just one shot behind Scrivener.
A birdie on the third hole saw Herbert share the lead with Scrivener, but the WA star took control from the fourth hole onwards.
Scrivener reeled off four-straight birdies from the fourth hole to the seventh hole to grab a four-shot lead.
That margin grew to five shots with even holes remaining before Herbert turned up the heat with a brilliant eagle on the par-four 12th.
However, a bogey for Herbert on the 14th put paid to his hopes of winning his first professional tournament.
Herbert entered the final hole in a tie for second with Ben Eccles. Herbert played a great approach shot from the fairway and then drained his 10-foot par for birdie to sign for a two-under par 70. He finished at 18-under par.
Fellow Bendigo professionals Andrew Martin and Kris Mueck had mixed tournaments. Martin finished tied for 27th at eight-under par, while Mueck was tied for 83rd at nine-over par.