Shin and Johnston take women's and men's titles at Australian Open

It was a return to the winners’ circle for Jiyai Shin at the Australian Open in Melbourne while Ryggs Johnston became the first American in eight years to win the men's title of the same tournament.

Caption: The moment of delight for Jiyai Shin of South Korea after her win in the women's Australian Open in Melbourne last month. Photo credit: PGA of Australia.

Shin, the relentless 36-year-old South Korean, won her second Patricia Bridges Bowl by two shots, adding to her 2013 open win and penning another entry to her list of more than 60 worldwide victories despite a late charge from two-time defending champion Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa.

Home hope Hannah Green’s chances unravelling early as she went the wrong way and Shin surged ahead.

A punched chip-in for eagle from 102 metres out of a sandy lie at the par four fourth hole from Shin was a sign of things to come as Australian hope Hannah Green, who started in second, and Buhai struggled to keep pace.

“It’s like a gift for me,” Shin said of the shot as she cradled the trophy.

Green admitted she was impacted by her fellow major champion’s hot start.

“I just felt like I didn’t have the lucky break in a sense, like when you’re not playing good you don’t get those things,” Green said.

“And when you are playing good you get the right bounces … when she came out blazing I was obviously tough on myself and that just made the situations even worse. Because I’ve been close so many times, I wanted it even moreso this year.”

Caption: Ryggs Johnston of the United States with his trophies after winning the Australian Open in Melbourne last month. Photo credit: PGA of Australia.

Perhaps feeling as though she was playing for second as Shin roared forward, Green made a disastrous triple bogey at the seventh and struggled to return to the fray as Shin continued to press and Buhai did her best to match her.

Johnston, meanwhile, became the first American champion since Jordan Spieth who claimed his second title in 2016, joined an illustrious list of compatriots that includes Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gene Sarazen.

Johnston, with scores of 65, 68, 68 and 68, was a three-shot winner at 18 under par, with West Australian Curtis Luck runner-up after a final round four under 68, which secured him a berth at The Open Championship next year alongside the champion and third-placed Marc Leishman.

Luck held the lead late in his round, however after three weeks of consecutive golf, later admitted he was running out of steam, and bogeys at 17 and 18 ensued.

Having not won a four-round event since his high school days, Johnston gained his DP World Tour status just weeks beforehand through qualifying school, and has now solidified his position.

"Getting a win and hopefully getting into more tournaments and just knowing that I've secured pretty legit status now, it's great," the 24-year-old said who is named after the Mel Gibson character Martin Riggs from the Lethal Weapon movies.