Norris wins Subaru Victorian Open
BY Bruce Young | Australasian PGA Tour | 2010 Victorian Open | Round Four | 10 Jan 2010
37 year old Victorian, Jason Norris, today turned back the clock when winning the 2010 Subaru Victorian Open at the Spring Valley Golf Club.
Two years ago Norris suffered serious injuries when involved in a bike accident late in 2007 and not long after winning the NSW Open and the WAPGA Championship. It took Norris several months before he would be playing again and even longer before he could be considered competitive.
Norris has however been slowly but surely working his way back to winning form in recent months. After an encouraging start to 2009, Norris’ form fell away but late in the year he began putting together several good tournaments beginning with a 16th place at the Johor Masters in Malaysia while playing the Asian Tour.
Then followed several good tournaments in events such as the WAPGA, the NSW PGA and the NSW Open and the Australian PGA Championship where he recorded three rounds in the 60’s.
Norris played much of his amateur golf at Spring Valley and was surrounded by many well-wishers and friends after his win.
Taking a two shot lead into the final round today over Canberra’s Chris Campbell, Norris went further ahead at the turn, courtesy of his own good play and a frustrating day on the greens by Campbell. He made the turn at 9 under for the event, three ahead of Campbell and a group of players at 5 under including Peter Senior who was emerging as a potential threat.
A further birdie at the 10th took Norris to 10 under and then a superb three wood to the par five 12th set up another birdie and he had moved to 11 under and four clear of Senior at that point.
Although he would bogey the 13th and 15th, Norris had enough in reserve and a birdie at the par five 17th allowed him the luxury of a three shot lead playing the last.
Campbell finally got his putter going with birdies at the 17th and 18th and finished alone in second position two shots behind the winner while last year’s runner up, Scott Laycock, and Victorian David McKenzie finished in a share of third, two further back.
The PGA Tour of Australasia plays its next full event in two weeks time in Christchurch where the New Zealand PGA Championship is being held before the first of two Nationwide Tour events, the New Zealand Open, is played in Queenstown.
Before that, however, the International Final Qualifying for the Open Championship is being played this week at Kingston Heath where three spots at this year’s Championship at St Andrews are up for grabs.
