GOLF: The World number 42 Peter Lonard clinched his first Australian Open title when a birdie at the 72nd hole edged out US Open runner-up Stephen Leaney and Chris Downes by one stroke at Moonah Links GC, Rye, Victoria, Australia yesterday.

Lonard, who started the day two shots behind overnight leader Downes, closed with a three-under-par 69 to finish on nine-under-par 279 and win a gripping shootout with Leaney at the new Moonah Links course in Melbourne.

The 2002 Australian PGA and Australian Masters winner, Lonard added the national open championship with a stunning approach shot to the par-five 18th that left him with a six-foot putt for birdie.

Lonard, who in 1993 contracted the mosquito-carried Ross River virus which damages the eyes and feared he might never play professional golf again, said it was a special moment.

"If you'd told me back in the dark days that I'd be winning any of these, I'd have said you were crazy," said Lonard.

"Now it means I'm a part of Australian golf history for the rest of time.

Lonard (36) fired birdies on the par-five 13th, par-four 16th and par-five 18th holes in his five-birdie, two-bogey round.

Leaney, who was in the final group with Downes, needed a birdie on the 18th to force a playoff but failed to hole his 10-foot putt after a 50-foot birdie attempt lipped out of the cup on the 17th hole.

Downes (23), who held a one-stroke lead overnight from Leaney, had five bogeys in a 72 and had to be content with a share of second place with Leaney (71) on 280, eight under, after picking up a birdie on the last hole.

Craig Jones (71) and 44-year-old Peter Fowler, who closed with a 70 and won the Australian Open 20 years ago, shared fourth place on 281.

Lonard said he was excited to join Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Peter Thomson and Greg Norman as Australian Open winners.

"It's a catalogue of the greatest golfers in the world," he said.

Western Australian Leaney (34) said: "I guess I can't be disappointed. It was just a shame that I did not make that putt at the last.

Leaney said he would keep coming home to try to win a national open championship.

"Even if we don't have Tiger (Woods) and Ernie (Els) and Vijay (Singh) play this event, it still has such a great history that everybody wants to win it," he said.

Final scores:

(Aus unless stated, par 72)

279 - Peter Lonard 68 72 70 69.

280 - Chris Downes 67 70 71 72, Stephen Leaney 71 70 68 71.

281 - Peter Fowler 70 71 70 70, Craig Jones 69 71 70 71.

282 - Martin Doyle 73 69 69 71, Robert Allenby 72 70 70 70, Steven Conran 73 69 68 72.

283 - Matthew Ecob 72 68 71 72, Ricky Barnes (USA) 69 69 72 73.

284 - Nathan Green 69 70 74 71, Stuart Appleby 69 73 68 74, Steve Allan 72 66 72 74, Scott Hend 71 71 70 72, Craig Spence 71 75 73 65, Matthew Millar 72 69 69 74.

285 - Wade Ormsby 74 72 67 72.

286 - Peter Senior 71 68 74 73, John Senden 71 70 71 74.

287 - Scott Gardiner 74 70 69 74, Craig Parry 69 71 74 73, Jens Nilsson (Swe) 72 72 70 73, Euan Walters 72 72 74 69, Jarrod Moseley 71 69 71 76.

288 - Greg Chalmers 71 70 75 72, Andrew Webster 74 72 71 71, Nick O'Hern 72 72 73 71, Aaron Baddeley 71 74 74 69, Marcus Fraser 73 71 73 71.

289 - James Nitties 71 71 72 75, Paul Marantz 77 69 72 71, Anthony Painter 75 69 74 71.

290 - Terry Price 73 68 72 77, Andrew Tschudin 70 70 74 76, Marc Leishman 71 76 71 72, Stephen Scahill (Nzl) 74 71 73 72, Joe Ogilvie (USA) 78 69 72 71.

291 - Gareth Paddison (Nzl) 70 76 73 72, David McKenzie 69 75 75 72, Shane Tait 73 68 72 77.

292 - Michael Barry 75 72 67 78, Aaron Byrnes 70 72 75 75, Michael Wright 71 68 76 77, Andrew Mckenzie 70 73 76 73, Craig Lee (Br) 76 70 71 75, Jean van de Velde (Fra) 72 74 75 71, Andrew Pitt 70 75 71 76.

293 - Cameron Percy 75 72 73 73, David Bransdon 73 73 75 72, Andrew Bonhomme 73 68 73 79, Adam Wilcox 71 76 72 74, Ben Bunny 77 69 73 74, Stephen Collins 77 69 69 78, Westley Rudel 73 73 74 73, Richard Green 69 78 74 72, Ryan Palmer (USA) 74 72 77 70.

294 - Anthony Gilligan 71 76 73 74. 295 - Richard Moir 75 70 70 80, David Diaz 75 72 74 74 296 Mahal Pearce 73 74 73 76. 298 - Heath D'altera 76 70 76 76. 299 - Stuart Bouvier 74 73 72 80, Mark Allen 75 72 75 77, Richard Blackwell 74 69 79 77. 300 - Paul Gow 75 68 76 81. 301 - Paul Spargo 75 70 77 79. 302 - Tony Carolan 72 75 81 74. 305 - Mitchell Brown 74 71 76 84.