McIlroy snatches victory from Scott

Rory McIlroy claimed his first title of the year at the Australian Open by a single shot on Sunday after home favorite Adam Scott bogeyed the final hole to lose a tournament he had dominated since the opening day.

McIlroy, who swallowed up Scott's four-shot overnight lead in the first eight holes, nervelessly sank a 10-foot birdie putt at the 18th to finish 18 under for the tournament with a final round seven-under 66.

Scott, who was seeking a rare triple crown of Australian titles after winning the PGA and Masters titles last month, missed a string of chances over the back nine to extend his lead and had just the single-shot advantage going into the 72nd hole of the tournament.