BENDIGO golfing sensation Lucas Herbert led Australia to victory at the inaugural Ten Nations Cup amateur teams golf event in South Africa on the weekend.
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Herbert, 17, fired a brilliant six-under par 66 on the final day to help the Aussies defeat trans-Tasman rival New Zealand by one shot.
Herbert, Brady Watt, Ryan Ruffels and Geoff Drakeford held their nerve on the final day at Kingswood Golf Estate to win the international team competition with a 38-under-par total of 826.
Australia’s final round 205 was a combination of a 70 from Watt, a 69 from Drakeford and Herbert’s superb 66 – holding off a fast-finishing New Zealand outfit in a tense finish.
“It’s incredible to have won the Ten Nations Cup and to have Australia’s name on the trophy,” coach David Nable said.
“We came over here with the hope of winning it. To have done it, is really incredible.
“Credit to New Zealand, because they really brought it home strong and were able to make it a very close match in the end.
“It’s a very proud moment for the team.”
England took third on 31-under, Argentina finished six shots back in fourth on 839 and Scotland took fifth on 22-under-par 842.
Colombia posted a 213 to finish sixth on 847 while South Africa, who launched a third round comeback with a 10-under 206 on Friday, made up another 11 shots in the final round to take seventh on 13-under-par 851.
Watt, who recently joined the Golf Australia National Squad, won the individual competition.
The world No.5 amateur finished with a 72-hole total of 18-under-par 198, three shots clear of New Zealand’s Tyler Hodge and four ahead of Colombia’s Carlos Ernesto Rodriguez.
Herbert finished in a tie for 11th in the individual event.
His 66 on the final day lifted him to eight-under par for the tournament, 10 shots behind team-mate Watt.
Herbert’s final round started brilliantly after he eagled the first and seventh holes to be six-under par after seven holes.
Another birdie on the 13th took him to seven-under before bogeys on 14 and 15 threatened to ruin his good start.
However, Herbert maintained his composure and birdied the par-four 17th and finished with a 66.
The Australians now head to the SA Stroke Championship, which tees off at Oubaai Golf from February 12 to 15.