SYDNEY: Australia’s Adam Scott broke through for his first victory at home with a five-shot win in the OneAsia Tour-sanctioned Australian Open on Sunday.

Scott only needed a closing par round of 72 to hold off compatriot Stuart Appleby and claim the Open with a four-round total of 15-under 273 at the New South Wales Golf Club in Sydney’s south.

Since turning professional in 2000, Scott, 29, has repeatedly failed to win in Australia, but he was in no danger over Sunday’s final 18 holes holding a comfortable buffer against Appleby.

Appleby carded a three-over 75 to finish the tournament at 10-under 278.

Scott won the Byron Nelson Championship in April last year, his sixth US Tour triumph and 14th overall, and Sunday’s trophy ends a 20-month dry spell.

His slump reached its lowest point at this year’s US PGA Championship in August, when he finished 17-over par after two rounds.

Having dived to No. 54 on the world rankings, Scott will now find himself back in the top 50 when the latest list is released this week after his Australian Open triumph.

Chan triumphs

In Khonkaen, Thailand, Chan Yih-shin won his first career title Sunday at the King’s Cup, beating Simon Yates and Nick Redfern in a playoff.

The 32-year-old Taiwanese golfer shot a 2-under 70 to force the three-way tie with Yates (68) and Redfern (66) at 14-under 274.

All three made par on the first playoff, but Redfern missed his birdie putt on the second before Chan made his.

Yates then failed to sink his four-foot birdie attempt.

Chan’s previous best finish was fifth place at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters in October.

Prayad Marksaeng (65) shrugged off inconsistent play in the early rounds by making five birdies and an eagle to finish in a tie for fourth, two strokes behind the leaders.

McDowell on top

In Thousand Oaks, California, Briton Graeme McDowell moved into a share of the lead at the Chevron World Challenge on Saturday after being named as a late replacement in the field due the absence of world No.1 Tiger Woods.

Woods withdrew from the event, which he hosts; citing undisclosed injuries following a car crash last week.

McDowell shot a third-round six-under 66 and is tied with South Korea’s Y.E Yang at 10-under par 206. Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and Britain’s Lee Westwood are one stroke behind.

McDowell was playing in the World Cup in China last week when his manager, who told him that he might be taking Woods’ place at the event, met him.

McDowell took advantage of the back nine, making four birdies and an eagle from holes 10 to 15. His eagle putt on 15 was a curling 60-footer that dropped into the hole.

His only mistake of the round was a big one, making double bogey on the 563-yard par-five 16th hole. McDowell’s tee shot found a fairway hazard and his next shot went into a water hazard.

Yang had been the second-round leader by two strokes, but is still suffering from flu-like symptoms and shot a one-under-par 71 as he struggled throughout his round.

It was a bit windy and chilly and the day didn’t pan out like I thought it would.

“I’m not 100 percent condition right now. But overall I feel good about being on top of the leaderboard.” Harrington, who has won the event in 2002, was disappointed that he was a stroke behind the leaders after he finished with two-under 70 on Saturday.