Mixed emotions for Aussies at Memorial
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2007 the Memorial Tournament | Round Four | 04 Jun 2007
Australian golf fans will be left wondering if the glass is half empty or half full after the final round of the Memorial Tournament today. Those who look at things on the positive side will say that having four Australians inside the top ten of an event of this quality is a fine achievement whilst others will say a great chance for an Australian to win the event was lost.
Korean K.J. Choi won the tournament after a closing round of 65 saw him slip past the six players ahead of him starting the final round. After racing to the turn in six under 30, the run of birdies slowed and he was forced to make several brilliant par saves over the closing holes including one at the 14th, then at the 16th from 15 feet and again after short siding himself into Azinger’s bunker at the last. He made a slippery and dangerous three footer there for par to set the mark for those behind to catch but none were able to match Choi’s mark.
Rod Pampling had started the last round three ahead but as is often the case in events of this nature, leads of that magnitude can be vulnerable. Pampling struggled to the turn in even par and by then he was under attack from many sides. Choi, who was playing two groups ahead of the final trio of Pampling, Adam Scott and O’Hair, had moved two ahead when he birdied the 11th hole but it would be a player in the group ahead of Choi who would ultimately be the Korean’s nearest challenger.
Ryan Moore was one of the greatest amateurs of the modern era before turning to the paid ranks in 2005 but his journey in professional game to date has not been all that smooth. A wrist injury in 2005 was finally operated on in March of 2006 and as a result he played only part of the season in 2006 but still made more than US$1 million. Today he surpassed those 2006 earnings when he birdied five of the last six holes to seriously challenge Choi before the eventual winner birdied the 15th to move ahead. Moore would eventually finish in second place outright.
Behind both Moore and Choi on the golf course, Pampling, who had struggled for much of the day, was still in with a chance of catching Choi despite falling two behind when he bogeyed the 12th. He would need something dramatic and that came at the par five 15th when he holed a brilliant right to left 30 footer for eagle and the difference was then just one. The Australian made a fine par save from left of the green at the 16th but at the 17th, however, Pampling’s chances disappeared with a 6 iron that flew to the back edge of the green and skipped through. In the end he had to hole a 14 foot putt for bogey.
Pampling shared 3rd with Kenny Perry whose last round of 63 was by far his best result of the season, in fact it was his first top ten of 2007.
Adam Scott also had a chance to catch Choi when he birdied the 15th and 16th holes to get within one of the leader but bogeys at the 17th and 18th saw him slip back to eventually share 5th place.
Geoff Ogilvy and Aaron Baddeley rounded out the Australians in the top ten and all four are now headed for the US Open knowing that there games are peaking at just the right time.
Nick O’Hern was 23rd, Nathan Green 41st, John Senden 45th, Stuart Appleby 51st and Mark Hensby 67th.
The leading players in the game did their US Open chances little harm this week although there is a question mark about Mickelson due to his withdrawal early in the week as a result of a wrist injury. Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh all had final rounds of 67 suggesting they are ready for what lies ahead in a week’s time at Oakmont. Jim Furyk had a steady if unspectacular week when finishing 23rd and of course Adam Scott was in the hunt all week.
The PGA Tour will be in Memphis this coming week for the Stanford St Jude Classic.
