 Rounds of 66 and 69 saw Porter win the Australasian event |
FINAL LEADERBOARD
(Australia unless stated):
-11 E Porter
-8 P Fowler
-5 S Laycock, B Bunny, C Campbell*
Selected others
-1 C Parry, G Chalmers
+3 N Flanagan
* lost in three-way play-off
Ewan Porter, Peter Fowler, Ben Bunny and Scott Laycock have booked places in this year's Open at Carnoustie after the Australasian qualifier in Sydney.
Porter led the Australian quartet in the two-round event on 11 under, three strokes clear of Fowler who shot a course-record 64 in his second round.
Bunny, Laycock and Chris Campbell were tied at five-under, forcing a three-way play-off that saw Campbell crash out.
Craig Parry, joint fourth in the 1999 Open, failed to make it through.
The Australian actually led in 1999 with seven holes to play, before a triple-bogey at the 12th ruined his challenge in the year that saw Scot Paul Lawrie triumph.
However, rounds of 71 and 74 at The Lakes were not enough for the 41-year-old to seal an emotional return.
The likes of former Australian Open champion Greg Chalmers and Nick Flanagan, who in 2003 became the first Australian for 100 years to win the US Amateur, also failed to qualify.
Porter, who has never been to Europe before, will be playing in his first Open.
606 DEBATE: How will the Aussies fare at Carnoustie?
Further international final qualifying events will be held in Singapore, Oakland Hills in America and Sunningdale in England before the Carnoustie event from 19-22 July.
The African qualifying event took place last month with Scotland's Doug McGuigan, Brazil's Adilson da Silva, Desvonde Botes of South Africa and Australia's Terry Pilkadaris securing their spots at Carnoustie.