BENDIGO golfer Lucas Herbert has clinched a golden ticket to the Masters in claiming his maiden US PGA Tour title with a thrilling victory at the Bermuda Championship.<\/p>\n
Herbert defied rain and gale-force winds to close with a steely final-round two-under-par 69 to claw back a four-shot deficit and hold off fast-finishing American Patrick Reed by a stroke.<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old’s victory comes just four months after he won the Irish Open and then finished a shot behind at the Scottish Open the following week to surge into the world’s top 50 for the first time.<\/p>\n
Herbert mixed four birdies with two bogeys on Sunday to post a 15-under 72-hole total as unheralded American third-round leader Taylor Pendrith crashed with a horror five-over 76.<\/p>\n
Reed reeled off four birdies in the last six holes in a six-under 65 to share second spot with New Zealand’s Danny Lee, who couldn’t manage better than even par in his final round.<\/p>\n
Graduating from the secondary Korn Kerry Finals last year, Herbert’s breakthrough win comes in\u00a0just his 19th career start on the PGA Tour.<\/p>\n
In addition to earning a two-year exemption on the lucrative tour, the victory secured Herbert a first-time tee time at Augusta National in April.<\/p>\n
“It opens up so many doors,” he said.<\/p>\n
The wind and rain, which caused tee times to be moved up, was as fierce as advertised, and play was halted briefly without having to bring the players off the course.<\/p>\n
“I felt like I grinded really well early and I had the right attitude going into the day that it wasn’t going to be easy,” Herbert said.<\/p>\n
“You just knew it was going to be one of those days where you had to battle really, really hard. Under par was going to be a great score.”<\/p>\n
Herbert made a lengthy birdie putt at the 12th to take the lead for the first time. But he gave it right back with a bogey at the par-3 13th.<\/p>\n
At No.14, his putt from across the green broke left to right and caught the right lip of the cup, propelling him back into the lead.<\/p>\n
“[I] holed an obscene amount of putts from outside 25 feet this week,” he said. “We got over that one on 14, just went like, ‘This is my range, I’ve holed so many, this is my range’.<\/p>\n
“The whole way, it’s just like, ‘That’s not missing’.<\/p>\n
“Yeah, obviously caught the ledge and got in there, but I felt confident before I even hit the putt.”<\/p>\n
After that putt dropped, Herbert finished with four pars to stay ahead of the pack.<\/p>\n
“It’s really tough to keep your mind from jumping too far ahead and thinking what are you going to say in the winner’s speech or what’s the photo going to look like with the trophy?” Herbert said.<\/p>\n
“I had to make sure that I kept myself in check, there’s still a tournament to be played.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n