Rod Pampling is a career journeyman on the PGA Tour. He’s 47 and biding his time until he can move on to the Champions Tour.
But on Thursday at the TPC Summerlin, he came within a hair of golf’s magical number — 59.
Pampling came to the final hole of the first round of the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children event sitting at 11-under par and he was staring long and hard at a putt from just inside 12 feet for 59.
He studied the slopes on his yardage book and figured the putt was straight. He figured wrong as it was slightly left-to-right and the ball slid just right of the hole, leaving Pampling thinking about what might have been.
“I thought it was straight but it had just a little left-to-right,” Pampling said after signing for a 11-under par, course-record tying 60. “I gave myself a bad read. I would have loved to have made one for 59 but it was a good solid day all around.”
Pampling got into position for a run at 59 by shooting 29 on the front then adding birdies at 11, 13 and 15. At the par five 16th, he nearly went to the magic 12-under number when his second shot from 232-yards out stopped just six inches from the hole. The eagle tap-in set him up for chances at 17 then 18. At 17, he left a 21-footer just short in the jaws.
Pampling, twice a winner on the PGA Tour, lost his card, competed on the Web.com and regained his card through the Web.com finals last month. His 60 was good enough for a two-shot lead over Ryder Cupper Brooks Koepka and James Hahn.
Former FedEx Cup winner Billy Horschel was in at 64, four back of the leader.
Defending champion Smylie Kaufman could only manage an even par 71 but he did get his round in.
A clerical error by the PGA Tour allowed too many players into this week’s field and as a result, they could not finish before darkness set in.
