BRANXTON bomber Corey Lamb fell agonisingly short of a breakthrough Challenger Tour win, finishing second in the $200,000 Webex Players Series South Australia at Willunga golf course on Sunday.
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Lamb was tied with clubhouse leader Austin Bautista at 12 under on the 18th tee but stumbled with a bogey five.
The 22-year-old smashed a drive which finished in the rough on the edge of the fairway. His approach shot clipped the leaves of a tree and fell short of the green.
Needing an up-and-down to force a play-off with Bautista, who closed with a 64, his eight-metre par putt just missed.
In a see-sawing final round, Lamb had a chance move one ahead at the 17th, but his birdie putt finished short of the hole.
After opening with a 67 and 68, Lamb went on a birdie blitz on Saturday, picking up five strokes in 10 holes to sign off on a 66 and move to nine under, a stroke behind Coffs Harbour's Andrew Campbell.
That left Lamb among 11 players within four shots of the leader.
It was the first time in Lamb's 18-month professional career that he teed off in the final group.
Willunga was Lamb's first event on the Tour for 2023-24 after a wrist injury prevented the rookie from playing in the West Australia Open and the WA PGA.
"I had a game of golf and woke up the next morning with a real bad pain," Lamb said. "There was nothing more than bruising. I had a few days off. The doctor said 'whenever it feels good, it's right to go'."
I waited for as long as possible, but I'm happy to get back out there."
After a difficult maiden season on the PGA Tour of Australasia, Lamb game a glimpse of his potential at the NSW Open in March, firing a final-round 66 at to finish in a tie for eighth at Rich River
"My first year (on Tour) was horrendous. I think I made two cuts," he said.
If Lamb was nervous it didn't show. He produced arguably the shot of the week at the first, punch a low shot from the next fairway between the adjacent green and bunker to 1 metres to set up birdie.
After having a birdie putt shave the edge of the hole at the second, he picked up shots at the par-three third and par-five fourth to open a two-shot lead at 12 under.
But a lip-out bogey at the par-four 15th stalled his progress.
Charlestown's Jye Pickin, one of only two amateurs to make the cut, carded a 75 on Sunday to finish at four over and tied for 51st.
James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
