Marc Leishman was basically an after-thought through 15 holes Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Surely it looked like Charley Hoffman or Kevin Kisner, the overnight co-leaders or even Rory McIlroy might come through with a victory.
But it was Leishman who made the putt of the tournament as he stood over an eagle putt on the 16th green from just inside 52 feet.
Fifty-two feet?
Seriously?
This was one of those scenarios that perhaps Tiger Woods would pull off back in his prime.
Instead, it was the big Aussie who stole the show, stole a PGA Tour win, a big win at Arnie’s Place where the week was spent remembering the time and life of golf’s great icon.
Leishman wasn’t shy, his eagle putt was traveling and it smashed against the back of the cup and dove straight to the bottom of the hole.
He went from trailing to leading — nine-under to 11-under with one smooth stroke of his flat-stick.
He still wasn’t home free however. Hoffman and Kisner had 16 in front of them, the par five, the easiest hole on the course, surely at least one if not both would make birdie and get to 11-under.
Up ahead, McIlroy hammered a perfect drive 314 yards at 18 and had just 148 in. Great birdie chance. But he would push his approach then three-putt from just 30 feet to fall from 10-under back to nine.
One out of the way.
Leishman made a clutch par putt at 17 from inside seven feet and got a break when both Hoffman and Kisner botched 16. Neither made birdie.
At 18, Leishman hit a poor drive into the deep right rough. Huge mistake, perhaps a mistake that could cost him the tournament.
He played smart, his a perfect layup from the hay just short of the green then hit a perfect pitch to three feet.
Kisner and Hoffman never had a chance. Neither sniffed three at the 72nd hole and this one belonged to Leishman. The guys who led after Saturday could do not better than 73 and they both tied for second at 10-under.
Leishman never held a lead until the 70th hole but he holed the biggest putt of the week.
“It’s just an unbelievable day,” Leishman said, shaking his head afterward, trying to get a grasp of what just transpired.
The planets aligned perfectly for him and his putter looked like Excalibur down the stretch.
It was pretty simple. All you have to do is ask yourself: “What would Arnie do?”
Arnie would have eagled 16 while everyone else was falling apart and stormed in for the win.
This ending would have brought a big smile to Palmer’s face.
Leishman couldn’t stop smiling.
“This is the first time I’ve had my family with me when I won,” he said proudly. “I holed some great putts. It was a nice day, the putter was there.”
That one putt changed the entire season for Leishman and he became the first winner at Bay Hill following Palmer’s passing. “Unbelievably proud to be that guy,” he said.
He had not won in five years.
Now he’ll be headed for Augusta in a few weeks. He’s in the Masters.
Maybe he’ll bring the family again.
