Joaquin Niemann has won his maiden Australian Open crown and his first European Tour victory since joining LIV Golf.
He downed Rikuya Hoshino in a dramatic playoff at The Australian Golf Club on Sunday afternoon.
Niemann at one stage in regular play held a two stroke advantage, but a bogey on the 17th brought him back to the field.
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He made a stunning birdie on 18 after hitting his tee shot into a fan area, and carded a stunning five-under 66 to lead by one in the clubhouse.
But the Chilean had to wait well over an hour for the rest of the field to finish their rounds. He kept himself loose by hitting balls on the range.
Hoshino made a birdie on the 17th to tie it, but made victory in regular play an outside chance when he found trouble off the tee on 18.
He played a safe shot to the middle of the fairway, and then another safe shot to the middle of the green.
His birdie putt for the win came close, but he had to settle on a two-putt par to force the playoff.
Despite the skies being clear all day, heavy clouds rolled in as players jumped in carts to head back to the 18th tee.
Niemann blew a golden opportunity to win it on the first playoff hole, but missed a five-foot eagle putt after Hoshino found two bunkers.
Both players played the second playoff hole in virtually the same fashion – Hoshino found two bunkers, and Niemann left himself a great look at eagle from the fairway.
But the second time of asking, as heavy rain began lashing the 18th green, Niemann drained the putt.
"It was a nice day – the last one (was) a little bit more stressful," he said greenside.
"These last two playoff holes shows how I've been playing the last two weeks here in Australia – my putting hasn't been the best but I've been working hard on it.
"Yeah … it was nice to make the last putt.
"It should have come one earlier, but yeah, it's amazing."
Earlier, Niemann's second shot into the 18th set the crowd on fire.
He sprayed his tee shot on the 18th into a fan area well right of the fairway, but played a spectacular blind shot to stick it close to the flag.
He came within centimetres of making what would have been the most unlikely of eagles, but tapped in for par.
"I knew I had to hit a good driver on 18 … unfortunately I missed the last two drivers on the last two holes," he said after the round.
"But yeah, I got lucky. I got a nice break, and I just took advantage of it."
Niemann had no vision of the green, nor the bunkers and water that surrounded it.
"I just closed my eyes and I thought that was the right line and I hit a great swing, great number, and I ended up there."
Despite the loss, Hoshino was remarkably upbeat.
"It's my first playoff … it's just a great experience," he said.
"It was a tough day out there, windy, rainy, I really wanted to get the birdie on 18 in regulation, but I couldn't do it.
"Congratulations to Niemann."
Hoshino's second place is enough to earn him a spot in the field at next year's British Open, to be held at Royal Troon.
Min Woo Lee started the day in a share of the lead with Hoshino, but failed to really fire for the second day in a row, making only one birdie and two bogeys to finish one-over for the day and two strokes off the lead in third.
He only made two birdies in his final 32 holes.
Six players held either the outright or shares of the lead on a dramatic final day at The Australian.
Adam Scott held the lead outright briefly and looked a chance to clinch what would have been a memorable home victory, before an errant tee shot lead to an ugly triple bogey.
Scott would later tell the broadcast it was "just a bad swing … on the worst hole to do it".
He also correctly predicted 14-under would be the minimum score required to win.
Lucas Herbert was also playing himself into contention before he made a triple bogey of his on the ninth hole.
Earlier, Ashleigh Buhai survived a late charge from Minjee Lee to claim back-to-back Australian Open titles.
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