Pampling wins Australian Masters playoff

BY Bruce Young | Australasian PGA Tour | 2008 Australian Masters | Round Four | 30 Nov 2008

The tradition may not be continuing for much longer at the Huntingdale Golf Club – as the Sportsbet Australian Masters is taken to other sandbelt courses in the years ahead – but it certainly was still there today when the Masters was again decided by a playoff.

Today it would be Rod Pampling and Marcus Fraser who would go head to head to decide the winner and it was 39-year-old Queenslander, Rod Pampling, who emerged as the winner at the third extra hole.

Both players parred the first extra hole and did so again the second time around but it took a heroic 15 foot par saving putt by Fraser after he had found the sand with his approach. At the third playoff hole, Fraser was long with his approach and was unable to hole a five foot par saving putt to keep the playoff and his chances alive. Pampling two putted for the victory.

Both Fraser and Pampling had finished at 12 under par after Fraser’s brilliant final round of 65 and Pampling’s round of 67 saw them move three shots clear of the rest of the field.

Pampling, a PGA Tour member since first joining golf’s holy grail via the Nationwide Tour in 2002, also made a big move early in his round, racing to four under for the day and 11 under for the tournament when he eagled the 7th from 15 feet after a delightful 3 wood at the uphill par five.

A soft bogey at the short par four 13th threatened to derail his chances and although he was unable to birdie the par five 14th he bounced back with a brilliant tee shot at the 15th and converted from 10 feet.

Pampling has been a prolific winner of money in the US and has won two PGA Tour titles there but at home he has been able to win just the one event and that, nearly ten years ago at the 1999 Canon Challenge in Sydney. He has come off another fine season in the US where he won US$1.7 million but a win at home is a great thrill for him.

“It is great to win at home,” said Pampling. “I have not always had the chance to properly prepare for the Australian events and Australian conditions previously as I have typically been getting in the week of the event from the US.”

“This year I have had three weeks at home in Queensland mainly working on the round the greens stuff. The playoffs are always hard but I was happy with the quality of the shots I was hitting today and even the shot I hit into the valley the second time round was a good shot.”

Fraser produced a brilliant round of 65 to move pass the overnight leaders, Robert Allenby, and Michael Sim and when he made the turn in six under 30 he had the lead on his own. It was a brilliant play by the 30-year-old, who has played well in recent months as he looked to hold on to his European Tour card after a struggle in the middle of his season. He was able to do just that with one or two good finishes of late that suggested he was finding form.

“I felt I could not have done much more,” said Fraser. “I have been hitting the ball well all week and played as well from tee to green yesterday as today but this morning I got my putting sorted out with my coach Denis McDade and it felt good today. I feel like I am now playing like I was as an amateur and in my first year as a professional.”

Fraser had things other than golf on his mind also. His wife Carlie, who is expecting their first child, was taken to hospital during the day but was there to watch him play the final few holes. She was taken back there and he was keen to get to hospital immediately after his commitments here.

It was an emotional and disappointed Robert Allenby who bravely faced the assembled media after his round.

Allenby’s mother Sylvia has advanced cancer and she was there today from the 15th onwards to see her son perform at home for what may well be the last time.

“It was always going to be a tough day,” said Allenby afterwards. “I am disappointed I wasn’t able to get to 12 under and get into the playoff but that’s the way it goes. I struggled on the greens all week and I’m not sure why. I just couldn’t seem to read them. Even Colin my caddy read them with me today and even though we were both coming up with same reads the putts were missing.”

“I lost the plot at the 15th and I think you could all see the emotion that was going on there. Perhaps I was trying too hard and just lost concentration.

Allenby was forced to hole a 30 foot putt at the 15th for double bogey after taking three to get out of the greenside bunkers. That was the end of his challenge for the title but on reflection it was an impressive performance given the circumstances.

He finished alone in third place while Tim Clark, Alexander Noren and Nathan Green finished in a share of 4th place at 8 under while David McKenzie finished in 7th position.

Joint third round leader, Michael Sim, had a tough day playing in the final group with Allenby and struggled from the start eventually finishing with a round of 77 and a share of 11th position. His turn will come however and it may be sooner rather than later.

The venue for the 2009 staging of the Sportsbet Australian Masters is still not yet officially decided but the informed money seems to be on Kingston Heath subject to their clubhouse alterations being completed on schedule with perhaps the Victoria Golf Club an outside chance.