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Scott claims PGA Grand Slam of golf

The Masters champion produced a stunning course-record, bogey-free seven-under 64, highlighted by a stunning 190-yard, six-iron approach to the par five 17th that led to a tap-in eagle, to finish at eight-under against the year’s major champions.    

It was good enough for a two-shot win over US Open champion Justin Rose, who had a four-shot buffer with 10 holes left.

Rose shot rounds of 67 and 69 to finish second at six-under, while PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner (69 and 70) was third at three-under and Padraig Harrington, filling in for British Open winner Phil Mickelson, shot 74 and 71 to round out the field at three-over.

“I’m thrilled to come out on top. It felt like a long round out there but I was happy with the score,” Scott said.

“Standing on the 11th tee, it didn’t look like a score like that was going to be possible, but I played very well and managed to slowly claw away at Justin.”

Starting three shots behind Rose and dealing with tropical rain, Scott jumped out of the blocks early with a birdie on the opening hole to pull within two.

Another birdie on the third pulled the Australian within one shot and right in the thick of the action.

But just as Scott was breathing down his neck, the Englishman lifted and rattled off four straight birdies on holes four through seven.

Scott could only match him on the seventh hole, leaving him four back and needing a big push of his own.

Rose helped with a bogey on nine and when Scott coaxed in a six-foot birdie putt on the 13th, he was just two back with five to play.

When Rose missed the green on approach to the 14th it appeared Scott might pull closer, but the Englishman’s chip caught a great break when it hit the flagstick, stopping it from racing well past the hole.

Scott could not convert a birdie from 25 feet and remained two back.

But a great approach shot from a severe uphill lie from the left rough to inside 10-feet on the 15th led to another birdie and it was game on with Scott just one back with three to play.

Rose then hooked his tee-shot on the par-three 16th into cliffs and was forced to take an unplayable, eventually taking bogey to tie things up heading to the final two holes.

With Rose once again in a little trouble off the tee, Scott stepped up and secured the win with a stunning approach to the par five, almost holing out for albatross but taking eagle to create the buffer for victory.

He claimed US$600,000 (A$629,723), the pink jacket for the champion, to go with his green one from Augusta and was also awarded honorary membership of the course by the premier of Bermuda for breaking the course record.

The 33-year-old now has his sights on the three major Australian tournaments and the World Cup, also to be held in Australia. 

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