RORY McIlroy watched his four metre putt roll in to win the Australian Open and shared a thought with most of the country: "What the hell just happened?".
"I can't believe I just won," McIroy said later, when asked what emotion had accompanied the winning shot. "I didn't think it was going to unfold the way it did, standing on the 18th tee."
No-one did, least of all Adam Scott.
With just one hole to play on Sunday at Royal Sydney after a tenacious last round battle with McIlroy, Scott held a one-shot lead.
After a spectacular 2013 Masters-winning season, Scott was poised to make even more history by wrapping up the Australian Open as the third leg of the triple crown.
Then things went awry. After "misjudging the wind", Scott hit a club too many past the 18th green and into a gully.
Remarkably, the ultra-consistent Scott then duffed his chip way past the hole and had to putt back for a bogey.
McIlroy suddenly had a birdie putt to win. It dropped,and for only the second hole of the 72, Scott wasn't leading the Australia Open.
McIlroy had broken his title drought and won the Stonehaven Cup.
"I am disappointed to make an error on the last and open a door for Rory. I had tried to keep it closed all day the best I could," Scott said.
"I misjudged the wind into the last, and a player as good as Rory is going to take that opportunity.
"I am gutted. I felt like I have never had a better chance to win the Aussie Open. But it was tight, the whole back nine. Rory played so good."
Scott attempted to keep up the broad smile but the pain was clear. The world no.2, who'd shot a tentative, defensive round of 71, blamed his cold putter for the day's woes.
It allowed McIlroy, who'd started four shots back, to surge back level by the eighth hole and make it game on.
"It was going to be a tough day no matter what. Rory made his move and I just couldn't knock in the putts you expect to make," Scott said.
"I could have put this thing away earlier if the putting was behaving how it should have, how it was the rest of the week."
After making just 24 putts in his hot round of 62, Scott's broomstick could only sweep in a frosty 35 yesterday.
Agonisingly close missed birdie putts on 16 and 17 gave McIlroy heart.
"I just stayed patient. I knew that anything could happen on this golf course. If you just hit it into a tricky spot like Adam did on 18, these things can happen," McIlroy said.
Scott admitted he was "gutted" but didn't want the loss to leave a bad taste about 2013.
"It's been a great year obviously," Scott said.
"I didn't want to finish like that but If I didn't play any good for the first three days and played great and finished second, I would be pretty chuffed going into Christmas. That's how I should look at it.
"I will get over this tonight, and look forward to a few week's rest."
As a good mate, an almost rueful McIlroy said he felt for Scott in losing at the death but lavished the Australian with praise for both his achievements and his character.
"It's a real credit to him that he came down and played all four weeks," McIlroy said.
"He sort of knew what responsibility he had coming down as Masters champion; the first Australian to win a green jacket, and that's just the sort of guy he is.
"He's a true gentleman and what I said at the prize ceremony there, he's a credit to the game but he's also a credit to this country. I was just lucky to be able to come out on top today."
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