Niemann takes Australian Open lead amid high drama

Darren Walton | December 3, 2023

The Australian Open is heading towards a thrilling climax as a raft of players jostle for the lead at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney.

Third-round co-leaders Min Woo Lee and Rikuya Hoshino were swamped by the chasing pack by the time they reached the turn on Sunday.

-After starting the day at 13-under, Lee and Hoshino dropped into a tie for fourth through nine holes as Chilean star Joaquin Niemann jumped to the lead following a dramatic collapse from Adam Scott.

Still chasing an elusive second Open crown, 14 years after his one and only triumph, three-time runner-up Scott charged from five shots back to be the outright pacesetter with his eighth birdie of the day on No.6, his 15th hole of the day.

In shades of his famous Masters war cry, Scott first-pumped and roared “come on, let’s go” after draining a 40-foot putt to seize the solo lead at 14-under.

Alas, he racked up a disastrous triple-bogey seven on the very next hole after pulling his drive out of bounds on the seventh, then missing the fairway with his second tee shot and failing to get up and down after leaving his approach shot.

Fellow Australian Lucas Herbert also crashed from a tie for the lead at one point with Scott to seemingly be out of contention with his own horror show.

Herbert dropped four shots in two holes after taking a triple bogey on the ninth and a bogey on 10.

The incredible turn of events, all the space of 10 minutes, turned the tournament on its head.

Suddenly Niemann was in front at 13-under, one ahead of Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick, the brother of 2021 US Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick, with Scott two behind late in his wild round.

Despite also falling two shots behind, Lee still had nine holes to reel in the leaders as he fought to complete a rare Australian PGA Championship-Open double.