Rod Pampling found himself in a tough spot Sunday in Las Vegas.
He was looking up at a former U.S. Open champion who was a shot ahead of him and looking over his shoulder at a young gun who was right on his heels.
Seemed like Mission Impossible for a 47-year old who hadn’t won on the PGA Tour in 10 years.
But the likeable Aussie mustered up every ounce of skill he had left starting at the 13th hole of the TPC Summerlin and hijacked the Shriners Hospitals for Children championship from overnight leader Lucas Glover and Ryder Cupper Brooks Koepka.
Pamping did it with birdies at 13, 14 and 15 then he sealed the deal with a gem of a 32-foot birdie putt at the 18th that got him to 20-under with a dazzling round of 65 to close.
“Phenomenal, amazing,” were the two words Pampling used to describe the afternoon that saw him lean heavily on his putting when he needed it most and he needed it. After bogeys at the 10th and 12th holes handed the lead to Glover, Pampling stormed the stretch with clutch putt after clutch putt and earned himself a two-year exemption that will allow him to transition easily to the Champions Tour when he turns 50.
It was a disappointment for Glover, who has been trying to make a comeback with better putting. He led the tour in greens in regulation last season but when he needed to hit the final two greens, he couldn’t.
Glover pushed his tee shot at the par three 17th into a greenside bunker and couldn’t sink a 12-footer for par, handing Pampling a one-shot lead going to the 18th. Koepka kept himself in the game with birdies at 15 and 16 but watched along with Glover as Pampling drained it from 32 feet to close the door.
Koepka’s 67 earned him solo second at 18-under par while Glover missed a short par putt at the 18th and fell back to solo third at 17-under.
Francesco Molinari’s 61 got everyone’s attention but his 16-under par effort would not touch the leaders. He finished in a tie for fourth with Geoff Ogilvy and Harris English.
2 Comments
hrfdez
With all the garbage going on in the PGA Tour, this is going to be my feel good story of the year.
Now I can have golf join the other sports I don’t watch anymore.
Tom Edrington
It was pretty good drama down the stretch Sunday, sure beat the heck out of some really bad NFL games, great story line, massive upset, well worth watching and fun to watch at that.