Pampling survives dramatic finish at Bay Hill
IN: News | US PGA | Bay Hill Invitational (2006) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 20 Mar 2006
The growing status of Rod Pampling in world golf was further confirmed today when he survived a most bizarre final nine holes to eventually win the Bay Hill Invitational by one shot over Englishman Greg Owen.
While Pampling had a second chance at victory after his wild tee shot at the 13th could have cost him victory, Owen's three putt from three feet at the par three 17th will stick with him in the weeks, months and years ahead. Whichever side of the fence you sat regarding the potential winner, it was difficult not to feel the pain etched on Owen's face as he walked from the 17th green and for the next fifteen minutes as he tried to recompose himself throughout the dangerous 18th hole.
Pampling's win is only his third in professional golf and his second on the USPGA Tour but importantly it is victory that will likely mean as much as his first victory on the PGA Tour when he won the modified stableford event, the International, in Colorado two years ago. This was a win in a field that included four of the top five in the world and a stokeplay event. The timing of the win could not have been better given that the Masters is fast approaching and with his simply stunning 5th place in 2005, Pampling will head to Augusta with perhaps the belief that he can do even better in 2006.
Pampling took a four shot lead into today's final round and when he made the turn today he was still three ahead. Englishman, Owen, has been somewhat of a surprise packet in his PGA Tour career to date having earned well over a million in his rookie season in 2005 and had played well in his two events prior to this week. He turned th front nine in 33 today and when he holed a nice putt at the 10th he closed the gap to just two.
Things would remain that way when both failed to make birdie at the par five, 12th, but at the 13th Pampling took a three wood from the tee on the short par four and lost it right. It finished out of bounds and although he played a fine pitch with his fourth from 90 yards he missed and the double bogey meant that he and Owen tied were now tied at 14 under. Owen went ahead for the first time when he holed a 30 foot putt from off the back edge of the green at the par three 14th but Pampling answered immediately at the 15th when he birdied from ten feet to draw level again.
At the par five 16th, both Owen and Pampling found the greenside bunker with their second shots and after Owen hit a beautiful recovery to two feet, Pampling's was not so good and he failed to make birdie. Owen was again one ahead as they reached the dangerous par three 17th. Owen's tee shot looked all over the flag from the tee but caught the very front of the green. Instead of pitching forward it bounced and rolled back into the fringe rough. Pampling, trying to cut a two iron, turned it over and was long and left. Pampling appeared disconcerted by Darren Clarke hitting before him when he may have thought it was his turn and he left his pitch and run from 70 feet, 12 feet short.
Owen pitched to three feet and when Pampling missed his par saving putt it appeared that Owen was about to go two ahead with just the last to play. Owen's first putt was hit hard and was pushed and as it slid by he was walking after it immediately. His next from two feet was hit before he could fully recompose himself and when it lipped out he was back on even terms with Pampling.
It was gut wrenching stuff whoever you were supporting. Now both players faced the demanding 18th and with Darren Clarke effectively destroying his chances with a bogey himself at the 17th, the title appeared to be between Pampling and Owen.
Pampling's drive was perfect, along the left half of the fairway. So too was Owen's although perhaps a little left. It came to rest in the first cut of rough but with a back right flag it provided the perfect angle. Attempting to cut his shot into that flag, Owen double crossed and pulled his approach long and left into the back bunker. Pampling, seeing what Owen had done, found the green 35 feet left of the flag in what was a fine shot under the circumstances.
Owen had a most awkward of bunker shots given the severe back to front slope on the green and he did well to get it within 12 feet. Pampling rolled his putt down to two feet and now it was almost a certainty that Owen needed to make his to force the event into extra time. In what was a cruel blow, his putt, which had looked in from the moment it left the putter, found a way to lip out and so Pampling was left with his short putt to win and he duly obliged.
It was one of those days where, despite the sympathy for Owen, there would have been similar feelings for Pampling if he had not completed the victory especially having started the day four ahead and the back nine with a three shot cushion.
Pampling had his coach Gary Edwin with him over the last few days and the minor adjustments they have been working have clearly made a difference. Much of that stemmed from lateral movement with the upper half of the body that had crept into Pampling's game.
Pampling is not a flashy type of player but he just goes about his business getting the job done. He has built platforms and improved each year since first joining the PGA Tour in 2002 and while this was a significant moment in his career, he appears on track for even better things in 2006.
Darren Clarke finished alone in third ahead of Robert Allenby who after a double bogey early in his round finished strongly.
The pre tournament favourite, Tiger Woods, improved ten places with his final round of 72 but he was officially 20th while the number two player in the world, Vijay Singh, recovered from a slow start to finish 7th.
The other Australians to make the cut were Geoff Ogilvy whose final round of 77 saw him slip from 6th overnight to 26th. Ogilvy has had a demanding few weeks in contention and that may be taking its toll.
Stuart Appleby was 54th, Nathan Green 70th and Mark Hensby 71st.
The PGA Tour now heads north to Jacksonville in Florida for the Players Championship at the famed TPC at Sawgrass.
Photo - Anthony Powter
