The two prolific winners on the PGA Legends Tour tied at 1-under-par after 36 holes and then had matching pars across the sudden-death playoff, staged on the 351 par-4 eighth hole, before it was agreed they would share the title.

In the quickly fading light, a resolute Burns had forced a sixth hole by draining a five-metre putt.

It was the third PGA Legends Tour win in a row for Order of Merit leader Stolz, who was coming off wins in the ACT Senior PGA Championship and the Cowra Lamb Legends Pro-Am.

Burns made it six victories for 2024, but his first since June.

The duo both posted rounds of 71-68 at Cromer to finish one shot ahead of David Mackenzie (70-70). The Victorian would have made it a three-way playoff had he not bogeyed his second last hole, the par-4 18th.

Lucas Bates had led after an opening round of 68 but dropped to T7 with a 75 on day two.

Meanwhile, Peter Lonard produced the low round of the event in the second round, a 5-under 65, but a 77 on the opening day left him too much ground to make up.

HOW THE WINNERS’ SCORES UNFOLDED

After finishing round one tied for sixth, Stolz began his second round on the ninth hole and Burns on the 18th.

It was Stolz who looked like taking the title outright when he picked up his fourth birdie of the day, at the par-4 sixth, but he dropped back to -1 with a bogey on his last hole, the par-4 eighth.

Burns hit stride with back-to-back birdies at the second and third but put himself into a difficult position with consecutive bogeys at 13 and 14.

However he birdied the par-3 15th, made an up-and-down for par after finding the water on 16, and birdied and his final hole, the par-4 17th, to secure his playoff spot.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

“That wasn’t bad, was it. First putt I holed all day,” Burns joked after denying Stolz the outright win on the 41st hole.

Stolz said: “We probably shouldn’t have really played that last hole, to be honest. We couldn’t really see. Everyone in the clubhouse was all excited so we thought we’d keep going. It’s a great big boy golf course this one and I was happy to have a chance to try and win.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN

-1: Andre Stolz (Qld) 71-68; Brad Burns (Qld) 71-68

Even: David Mackenzie (Vic) 70-70

+1: Anthony Summers (NSW) 72-69

+2: Peter Lonard (NSW) 77-65; Mark Gibson (Qld) 69-73

NEXT UP

The PGA Legends Tour heads to the Blue Mountains for the Fidelity Capital Group Charity Legends Pro-Am at Springwood Country Club on Thursday and The Blackheath Centenary Year Legends Pro-Am at Blackheath Golf Club on Friday.

The 2024 Order of Merit leader made it back-to-back 36-hole wins this week by shooting rounds of 66-65 for an 11-under-par total on the NSW Central West layout to secure a four-shot win over Victorian Adam Henwood (65-70) and fellow Queenslander Chris Taylor (68-67).

HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED

The ACT Senior PGA winner from Wednesday started round two a shot behind Henwood but proceeded to shoot the low round of Saturday to overcome the overnight leader’s challenge.

Three birdies on the front nine saw him turn in 33 and he then picked up shots at the par-4 10th and 12th holes to seize the lead.

While Henwood played the back nine in +1, Stolz was blemish-free, adding in another birdie on the par-4 17th to seal his 10th PGA Legends Tour title for 2024.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

Stolz said: “Coming here after Fairbairn I was feeling pretty flat actually and had a slow start on day one. I was hitting it nice but I was a bit in la-la land. Just managed to spark something earlier on the back nine yesterday by knocking a few close.

”It was good fun playing with Adam today. I thought we were going to have one of those days where we’d make eight birdies each. He started on fire but cooled off a bit luckily for me.

“The way we started out I thought we were in for a bit of hustle and bustle all day.

“My short game has been a bit off lately so I’ve been doing a bit of work on it and it’s probably why there’s been a lack of bogeys the last couple of days.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN

-11: Andre Stolz (Qld) 66-65

-7: Chris Taylor (Qld) 68-67; Adam Henwood (Vic) 65-70

-3: Mark Boulton (Vic) 71-68; Euan Walters (Vic) 70-69; Nigel Weldon (Qld) 70-69; Lucas Bates (Qld 70-69

-2: Guy Wall (NSW) 66-74

A former winner at Mollymook, Taylor’s win was set-up by a 4-under par round of 68 on day one and a crucial birdie on his penultimate hole of a final round even-par 72 for 4-under total.

With Peter Senior (74) and Peter Lonard (70) both breathing down his neck, Taylor conjured a birdie at the par-3 17th that he admitted post-round came with an element of good fortune.

“I haven’t told a lot of people, but I did pull it left,” Taylor said of his tee shot on 17.

“It ended up lying left of the hole, which is underneath the hole there.

“Made a nice two and I knew Pete had to get it up and down out of the bunker.

“It was one of those shots you take, but you don’t tell anyone that you weren’t aiming over there.”

Senior did make his up-and-down on 17 but bogeyed the last to finish four back of Taylor with Lonard and Adam Henwood (72) sharing third at 1-over.

HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED

Leading New South Welshman Scott Ford by a shot after Round 1, Taylor also had Senior for company in the final group and it was Senior who struck first.

The icon of Australian golf birdied the opening hole to draw within one and set up an enthralling final round of cut and thrust.

Taylor’s lead remained one after Senior made bogey on three and he dropped a shot of his own on five but two birdies after the turn would prove crucial.

It gave Taylor a three-shot buffer that was soon four when Senior made bogey at the par-3 12th.

Taylor made back-to-back bogeys of his own on 14 and 15 to tighten the contest once again before the critical birdie on 17 essentially wrapped up the win.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

“It just sort of suits my eye,” Taylor said of his affinity with Mollymook.

“A lot of the holes work both left-to-right and right-to-left but, not only that, the greens are always in pristine condition.

“I haven’t been under the pressure like that to win a two-dayer for a while now. It was actually good to get under the gun and hope your swing hangs on.

“People put some pressure on you and it sorts you out whether your swing’s working or not.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1          Chris Taylor                  68-72—140
2          Peter Senior                 70-74—144
T3        Peter Lonard                75-70—145
T3        Adam Henwood          73-72—145
5          Brad Burns                   75-71—146
6          Roland Baglin               73-74—147
T7        Mike Zilko                    73-75—148
T7        Andre Stolz                  73-75—148
T7        Martin Peterson           72-76—148
T7        John Wade                   70-78—148