A CHANGE in weather was all that could halt a stunning final round surge by Marcus Fraser at the British Open.
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Despite the anticlimactic, climatic conditions Fraser still had his best finish to a major championship with a tie for 20th at St Andrews early Tuesday morning earning him more than $125,000.
At one stage of the final round the Corowa born and bred golfer climbed into a tie for fifth off the back of a stunning front nine that included four birdies in an outward 32.
Another birdie at the par-3 11th had Fraser at -10 and in fifth spot before consecutive bogeys at 13 and 14 along with another at the Road Hole 17th ended his charge.
The 36-year-old finished at 7-under, eight shots out of the play-off, alongside the likes of major winners Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington and Retief Goosen.
He was also the foruth highest Austrralian behind play-off runner-up Marc Leishmann, Jason Day and Adam Scott who are all in the top-30 in the world.
Fraser, who had driven the 7½ hours back to London after the round, said it was sensational to be on the leaderboard in the final round.
“The early part of the round was great fun, making all those birdies on the front nine but I copped some shitty weather on the back and it fell apart,” he said.
“I’m still really happy with the week, my best ever finish at a major.”
Fraser jumped 20 spots to 141 in the world after the Open and late Tuesday was scheduled to fly from London to Switzerland for the Omega European Masters.
The high finish in the 144th Open followed a T15 at the French Open and making the cut at the second major of the year, the US Open, in June.
His one-time Corowa coach John Rogers, who now operates the Wodonga golf driving range, was full of praise for his former pupil.
“It seems unbelievable after all the injury worries of recent years that Marcus can be so in control of his own game at the moment,” he said.
“He’s playing at the weekend in majors, in contention on Sundays and his only blemish in the past month was missing the cut at the Scottish Open where he still shot even par in the first two rounds.
“He had major back surgery a few years back and this time last year was sidelined by a hand injury that many feared would end his career.
“But at the moment he’s near the top of his game.
“Obviously it didn’t help when the weather turned and Marcus would have been disappointed to bogey three of the last six holes but he wasn’t alone with a number of the top players falling apart on the closing holes, including Adam Scott.”
Fraser’s optimism before the Open proved correct.
“Hopefully (I’ll be) right in the mix,” he said last week.
“It’s shaping up as a good week and hopefully the form carries on.”