The Punter's De-Brief: Hot putting Hovland defends again

• Meronk's the man Down Under

• Lawrence clings on in South Africa

• Hovland defends after late scare for odds-on backers

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Odds-on Scott loses home championship

Trading at around 1.845/6, Adam Scott began the fourth and final round of the Australian Open with a one-stroke lead over pre-event 26.025/1 chance, Adrian Meronk, but it didn't take long for the tide to turn in favour of the popular Pole.

Scott began the day with a bogey as Meronk, who had sat tied for 103rd after the opening round, flew out of the gates with birdies at one and two to take up the running.

The pair were tied again after Scott recorded back-to-back birdies at four and five, but he gave both shots back with a pair of bogeys at seven and eight and Meronk took control with a birdie at nine to go three clear.

Scott got back to within a stroke with four to play but that was as good as it got for the home hero and Meronk went on to win by five!

The margin of victory almost certainly flattered the Pole - who hit a high of 440.0439/1 during the tournament - and was largely down to a double-bogey at 17 by Scott and this remarkable eagle putt on the 72nd hole by the winner.

"Pretty good pace... great line! That's how you finish it!" @AdrianMeronk finished his week with a winning eagle putt on the 72nd hole. #AusOpenGolf pic.twitter.com/hrbjJZCHz0

-- DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 4, 2022

Lawrence hits 100 in final round fright

Over at the South African Open, pre-event 26.025/1 chance, Thriston Lawrence, who had led from the get-go, began round four leading by two and trading at 1.584/7 but his lead didn't last long.

French outsider, Clement Sordet, a 260.0259/1 chance before the off, was the only player within six of the leader before round four but the pair were tied after the opening hole after Lawrence dropped a shot as Sordet made a birdie four.

Sordet was matched at just 2.111/10 after the two-stroke swing at the opening hole but a three-stroke swing at four put Lawrence back in control after vastly contrasting approach shots.

Sordet found water with his second shot, leading to a double-bogey six, whereas Lawrence hit this sublime and well thought out approach shot that led to a birdie three.

.@ThristonL regains his lead with a classy birdie at the fourth #InvestecSouthAfricanOpen pic.twitter.com/I0FLSUTe2O

-- DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 4, 2022

Lawrence put the pedal down after that with further birdies at five, nine and ten and a comfortable facile victory look assured.

Last year's Rookie of the Year on the DP World Tour, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Saturday, looked in complete control and with a five stroke lead with just five to play, he was matched for £12k at just 1.021/50.

Nothing but a straightforward win for Lawrence looked likely but Sundays are never straightforward and after a two-stroke swing at 14, Lawrence found the water with his approach on 15, leading to a double-bogey six and in the space of two holes the lead had been trimmed to one.

Lawrence then failed to get up-and-down for par at the 16th and the pair stood on the 17th tee tied for the lead!

Having drifted all the way out to 100.099/1, Sordet was matched at just 2.021/1 but he failed to get-up-down from the greenside bunker for par at 17 and Lawrence kept his composure to par the last to win by one.

Hot putting Hovland survives late scare

The defending champion, Viktor Hovland, began the fourth and final round of the Hero World Challenge leading by three and trading at 1.75/7 and for much of the day the pre-event 21.020/1 chance looked like making a straightforward defence.

Last year's runner-up, Scottie Scheffler, had been Hovland's nearest challenger with a round to go and he started nicely, playing his first six holes in four-under-par.

Scheffler was momentarily tied for the lead when he chipped in for eagle at the sixth, but Hovland holed a lengthy birdie putt to edge back in front and having been matched at just 1.75/7, Scheffler's challenge looked to be fizzling out when he bogeyed seven and double-bogeyed nine and Hovland was matched at just 1.021/50 as he led by four on the back-nine but long odds-on backers were given an almighty scare at the last.

Birdies at 14, 15 and 16 saw Scheffler close the gap back down to two with two to play but after he and Hovland made matching pars at 17, his late charge didn't look like being enough.

Hovland was still in the driving seat as they stood on the 18th tee but he very nearly crashed!

A poor drive by the Norwegian left him in a tricky spot above a fairway bunker in the rough before he hit this approach into the water.

Two-shot lead, but in the water on 18.

Viktor Hovland is making things interesting. pic.twitter.com/mVgjYqPUPn

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 4, 2022

The door was ajar for Scheffler but from a great position in the fairway he hit his seven-iron approach into a waste area.

The tournament was still in the balance after Hovland took his penalty drop and played his fourth up on to the green, but Scheffler's third shot ran way past the hole and Hovland put the event to bet with yet another lengthy putt. Just his 24th of the day after he'd taken only 23 in round three!

Hovland is the third man to win the Hero World Challenge at least twice but he's the first to successfully defend the title since Tiger Woods won back-to-back in 2006 and 2007.

Viktor has ground to make up on Tiger, who won the event five times in total, but he's alongside the only other multiple winner, Graeme McDowell, who won the event in 2010 and 2012.

This is the second time Hovland has made a successful title defence, he also won the World Wide Technology title back-to-back in Mexico in 2020 and 2021.

The action begins to slow up a bit this week but I'll be back later today or tomorrow with my Alfred Dunhill Championship preview and Dave Tindall will take a look at the pairs event on the PGA Tour - the QBE Shootout.

*You can follow me on Twitter @SteveThePunter