MELBOURNE: An unflustered Stuart Appleby overtook the faltering Adam Bland and Daniel Gaunt to upstage champion Tiger Woods and win the Australian Masters at Victoria Golf Club by one shot Sunday. The 39-year-old Appleby shot a six-under 65, which included 30-foot putts on the 16th hole to save par and 17th to make a birdie, to record a 10-under 274 and hold off the challenge of the overnight leader Bland (73) and Gaunt (71). Woods, who was paid a reported $3 million appearance fee finished fourth after he shot a 65, his equal-best round of the year, to end on seven-under 277. Appleby, who had started seven shots behind Bland, clawed his way into contention with six birdies, including one on the final hole to give himself a two-shot cushion to ensure he snatched the A$270,000 ($266,000) winner's purse from his fellow Australians. The 28-year-old Bland had held a share of the lead since the first round but he was unable to maintain his consistency on Sunday. He had a chance to force a playoff on the 18th but his 12-foot eagle putt drifted just left of the hole. He finished with a birdie for a two-over 73 to finish second on nine-under 275. Gaunt, who was working in a pro shop earlier this year to finance an attempt at making the top-level tour, had seized the outright lead on the 14th hole before he made a double-bogey five on the par-three 16th. He finished third on eight-under. The 34-year-old Woods had started the day 10 shots behind Bland, before a scintillating finish in which he snared an eagle two at the par-four 15th, a birdie on the par-five 17th and an eagle three on the par-five 18th resulted in a huge roar from the crowds packed tightly around the final green. The American's fourth-place ensures he will end the year without a title for the first time since he turned professional in 1996. He has not won a title since claiming the gold jacket at nearby Kingston Heath on Melbourne's sandbelt a year ago, shortly before stories about his personal life quickly developed into a storm that wrecked his marriage, tarnished his clean-cut image and caused him to take a break from golf. Scott keeps lead Adam Scott held a three-shot lead when the final round of the Singapore Open was halted by rain Sunday, the Australian now having to wait until Monday to try and become the event's first three-times winner. Play was suspended just before noon due to thunderstorms and lightning, and resumed more than five-and-a-half hours later in drizzly rain and fading light at the Sentosa Golf Club. Scott, back-to-back winner in 2005 and 2006, was on 17-under-par after eight holes when darkness descended on the Serapong course and leads defending champion Ian Poulter by three shots. South Korean Kang Kyung-nam is in third place on 13-under with U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell tied for fourth with Anders Hansen a shot further back. Pettersen in lead Norway's Suzann Pettersen shook off two bogeys and made a clutch par putt at 18 to grab a one-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the LPGA Lorena Ochoa Invitational at Guadalajara in Mexico. Sharing second on 205 were South Korean In-Kyung Kim, Japan's Ai Miyazato, France's Karine Icher and American Stacy Lewis. All but Lewis fired 68s in Saturday's windy weather, Lewis finishing in 69.
