Round 4 - Rod Pampling breaks decade long winless drought

November 7, 2016

Australian Rod Pampling ended a decade-long drought on the PGA Tour when he won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open by two strokes from American Brooks Koepka in Las Vegas on Sunday.

The seasoned 47-year-old made a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th hole on his way to a six-under-par 65 at TPC Summerlin in the Nevada desert.

He stamped his third PGA Tour victory by sinking a 30-foot birdie at the last to clinch his first tour win since the 2006 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

"Winning Arnold Palmer's event is still on top (of career highlights) but coming back from what we have the last few years to get a win, it's phenomenal, amazing," Pampling said in a greenside interview, before thanking his family for supporting him through a series of lean years.

"To win this magnificent event, it's fantastic, a great feeling."

Pampling, ranked 451st in the world, is the oldest winner on tour since Davis Love III won in Greensboro in Aug., 2015.

He looked like frittering away victory when he three-putted the 10th hole and dropped another shot at the 12th after missing a four-footer.

But he steadied the ship with clutch putting, sinking birdie putts from 13 feet, 18 feet and 11 feet respectively over the next three holes.

He was tied with American Glover with two holes left, before the American bogeyed the 17th to open the door.

Glover also bogeyed the last to fall to third, three shots back of Pampling, who finished at 20-under 264.

"It seems the Australians are starting to kick it in again," said Pampling, the fifth player from the country to win on tour this year after Jason Day, Adam Scott, Aaron Baddeley and Greg Chalmers.

"We were dormant for a little while there. Jason and Scotty have kicked it on, so just glad to grab one of those spokes and be part of the big wheel."

In 2006, Pampling had thought he was on the road to more victories after winning the late Palmer's event.

"In '06 I still thought there were a few more really quickly, but that's golf," he said.

Round 3 - Lucas Glover takes over lead

November 6, 2016

Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, boosted by a 50-foot birdie, carded six-under-par 65 to surge into the third-round lead at the Shriners Hospitals For Children Open in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Glover took a while to adjust to the slow pace of the greens at TPC Summerlin, but there was no stopping him once he rolled in a monster putt at the eighth hole.

He followed up with an eagle at the next en route to a 15-under 198 total, one stroke better than Brooks Koepka (70) and halfway leader Rod Pampling (71), with Geoff Oglivy and Russell Henley two behind.

"I didn’t have the speed of the greens down the first few holes and I struggled with it the first seven holes," Glover said.

The South Carolinian was a surprise winner of the rain-plagued 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage in New York, but instead of kicking on from that major success he has won only once since.

Glover, who has gone through a divorce and struggled with a knee injury, has not finished in the top 100 on the PGA Tour points ranking for the past five seasons but showed glimpses of form with a tie for fifth at last week's event in Mississippi.

Pampling, who shot a sizzling 11-under 60 in the first round, could not replicate that form and by day's end was happy simply to be within a shot.

"Nothing special," the Australian said of his performance.

"Thankfully, with that good score on the first day, I’ve been able to have a so-so day, so tomorrow I have to go low."

Koepka was also downbeat about his form and, like Glover, had trouble adjusting to the greens.

"Ball striking was pretty poor and for some reason I couldn’t get the speed of the greens," he said.

Round 2 - Rod Pampling holds on to slim advantage

November 5, 2016

Australian Rod Pampling recovered from a poor start to take a one-shot lead in the second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas on Friday.

A day after carding an 11-under 60, Pampling followed up with a respectable 68 at TPC Summerlin, where Tiger Woods 20 years ago clinched the first of his 79 PGA Tour victories.

Pampling posted a 14-under 128 halfway total, while American Brooks Koepka (67) lipped out a five-foot par putt at the last to slip out of a tie for the lead.

Aaron Wise, the U.S. collegiate champion who turned professional in June, ended the day in third place at 12-under after 14 holes. He was among 19 players who could not complete the round before darkness fell.

Pampling described his two early bogeys as "two silly mistakes" but remained calm in the knowledge that his swing still felt good.

"I didn't panic," the two-time PGA Tour winner told Golf Channel. "You've just got to trust yourself that you're playing well. I knew it was good so I let it come to me."

He turned his day around with a 12-foot birdie at his sixth hole, before making a 100-yard up-and-down at the next to save par.

"That just righted the ship," he said. "I played nice after that."

Koepka, meanwhile, was not quite firing on all cylinders, but he credited a hot putter with keeping him near the lead.

"I've made a bunch of putts," he said, adding that his game "was kind of sloppy at points. I've got to clean a few things up, just tighten up the driver."

Round 1 - Rod Pampling leads with opening 60

November 4, 2016

Veteran Rod Pampling almost shot golf’s magic number before settling for an 11-under-par 60 in the opening round at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas on Thursday.

Pampling missed an 11-foot birdie putt at the final hole for what would have been a 59.

"I gave myself a bad read," the Australian told PGATour.com. “I thought it was straight and it just had that little left-to-right (break).”

Pampling tied the TPC Summerlin course record to end the day with a two-shot lead over Americans Brooks Koepka and John Huh.

Pampling has endured a mediocre year, and he credited his burst of form to a fruitful session working on his driving with his coach on tournament eve.

“I’ve been hitting (the irons) quite well for two or three months, just haven’t been driving it super,” said the 47-year-old from the northern Australian state of Queensland.

The two-time PGA Tour winner made a confidence-boosting start by chipping in from 70 feet for birdie at the third hole, and then holed out with a nine-iron from 135 yards for eagle at the par-four sixth.

Later, he capped off his day with another eagle at the par-five 16th, where he almost holed out from the rough from 230 yards before tapping in from six inches.

“To be honest I wasn’t really thinking too much about (my score but) when I hit it close on 16, that got my attention,” he said.

“I would love to have made one for a 59. It was a decent putt. It was on line when it started. I’m glad I gave it a chance.”

The Las Vegas PGA Tour event has a history of throwing up low scores in the Nevada desert. In 1991, at a different course, Chip Beck became the second man to shoot 59 on tour, a list that has since grown to six players.

American Jim Furyk in August became the first player to shoot 58 on tour, and also the first player to break 60 twice, after previously carding 59 in 2013.

Scores

1 AUS Rod Pampling -20 - 60 68 71 65 264
2 USA Brooks Koepka -18 - 62 67 70 67 266
3 USA Lucas Glover -17 - 68 65 65 69 267
T4 USA Harris English -16 - 67 67 67 67 268
T4 ITA Francesco Molinari -16 - 70 68 69 61 268
T4 AUS Geoff Ogilvy -16 - 67 67 66 68 268
T7 USA Keegan Bradley -15 - 67 65 71 66 269
T7 USA Pat Perez -15 - 66 66 69 68 269
T7 USA Kyle Stanley -15 - 67 67 68 67 269
T10 USA John Huh -14 - 62 73 67 68 270
T10 USA Sean O'Hair -14 - 67 66 69 68 270
T10 AUS Cameron Smith -14 - 66 68 68 68 270
T10 USA Shawn Stefani -14 - 66 70 68 66 270
T10 USA Aaron Wise -14 - 66 65 71 68 270
T15 USA Stewart Cink -13 - 70 68 67 66 271
T15 USA James Hahn -13 - 66 66 69 70 271
T15 USA Brian Harman -13 - 70 63 69 69 271
T15 USA Charles Howell III -13 - 67 67 67 70 271
T15 USA Billy Hurley III -13 - 68 71 66 66 271
T15 AUS Matt Jones -13 - 65 68 69 69 271
T15 USA Luke List -13 - 65 69 73 64 271
T15 USA Ryan Moore -13 - 68 66 68 69 271
T15 ESP Jon Rahm -13 - 65 69 69 68 271
T24 USA Russell Henley -12 - 68 69 63 72 272
T24 USA Scott Piercy -12 - 68 68 65 71 272
T24 USA Chez Reavie -12 - 76 61 68 67 272
T27 USA Ryan Brehm -11 - 67 69 67 70 273
T27 GER Alex Cejka -11 - 69 67 70 67 273
T27 CAN Adam Hadwin -11 - 70 64 67 72 273
T27 SCO Martin Laird -11 - 70 69 69 65 273
T31 USA Ryan Blaum -10 - 67 70 68 69 274
T31 AUS John Senden -10 - 66 70 69 69 274
T31 USA Webb Simpson -10 - 71 66 69 68 274
T31 USA Brendan Steele -10 - 68 71 67 68 274
T31 USA Cameron Tringale -10 - 69 68 69 68 274
T36 USA Bryson DeChambeau -9 - 72 66 70 67 275
T36 USA Derek Fathauer -9 - 67 67 72 69 275
T36 USA Trey Mullinax -9 - 66 69 72 68 275
T36 USA Xander Schauffele -9 - 68 70 68 69 275
T36 USA Robert Streb -9 - 70 66 67 72 275
T41 USA Wesley Bryan -8 - 70 68 69 69 276
T41 USA Tony Finau -8 - 72 65 65 74 276
T41 USA Martin Flores -8 - 67 67 77 65 276
T41 USA Billy Horschel -8 - 64 71 70 71 276
T41 USA Davis Love III -8 - 68 70 68 70 276
T41 USA Lee McCoy -8 - 68 70 67 71 276
T41 USA Kyle Reifers -8 - 71 67 66 72 276
T48 SWE Jonas Blixt -7 - 68 70 68 71 277
T48 USA Jason Bohn -7 - 68 69 70 70 277
T48 ESP Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano -7 - 70 68 69 70 277
T48 USA Will MacKenzie -7 - 72 67 67 71 277
T48 USA Troy Merritt -7 - 68 66 73 70 277
T48 KOR Seung-Yul Noh -7 - 67 69 71 70 277
T54 CAN Graham DeLaet -6 - 69 70 66 73 278
T54 KOR Michael Kim -6 - 69 68 67 74 278
T54 CAN Nick Taylor -6 - 68 68 72 70 278
T57 ARG Fabian Gomez -5 - 70 69 70 70 279
T57 TWN Cheng-Tsung Pan -5 - 66 71 72 70 279
T57 IRL Seamus Power -5 - 71 67 72 69 279
T57 USA Harold Varner III -5 - 67 71 69 72 279
T61 USA Chad Campbell -4 - 67 71 69 73 280
T61 USA Chris Kirk -4 - 66 65 75 74 280
T61 USA Kevin Streelman -4 - 67 71 73 69 280
T61 USA Vaughn Taylor -4 - 68 69 72 71 280
T65 RSA Ernie Els -3 - 70 68 72 71 281
T65 USA Cody Gribble -3 - 72 66 72 71 281
T65 USA Daniel Summerhays -3 - 69 70 72 70 281
T68 USA Brian Gay -2 - 72 66 69 75 282
T68 USA Gigi Stoll -2 - 69 70 73 70 282
T70 USA Steve Marino -1 - 72 64 74 73 283
T70 USA Brett Stegmaier -1 - 71 67 71 74 283
T72 USA Smylie Kaufman Par - 71 67 75 71 284
T72 USA Spencer Levin Par - 67 71 75 71 284
74 USA Jason Kokrak 3 - 71 68 74 74 287
CUT USA Blayne Barber -2 - 72 68 - - 140
CUT USA Zac Blair -2 - 71 69 - - 140
CUT CAN David Hearn -2 - 70 70 - - 140
CUT JPN Ryo Ishikawa -2 - 70 70 - - 140
CUT KOR Sung-Hoon Kang -2 - 71 69 - - 140
CUT USA Jamie Lovemark -2 - 73 67 - - 140
CUT NIR Graeme McDowell -2 - 70 70 - - 140
CUT USA Bryce Molder -2 - 69 71 - - 140
CUT SWE Carl Pettersson -2 - 73 67 - - 140
CUT USA Zack Sucher -2 - 68 72 - - 140
CUT USA Josh Teater -2 - 74 66 - - 140
CUT USA Michael Thompson -2 - 68 72 - - 140
CUT USA Kevin Tway -2 - 68 72 - - 140
CUT USA Boo Weekley -2 - 69 71 - - 140
CUT AUS Aaron Baddeley -1 - 71 70 - - 141
CUT USA Jonathan Byrd -1 - 71 70 - - 141
CUT ARG Miguel Angel Carballo -1 - 74 67 - - 141
CUT USA Bud Cauley -1 - 69 72 - - 141
CUT USA J.J. Henry -1 - 73 68 - - 141
CUT RSA Tyrone Van Aswegen -1 - 71 70 - - 141
CUT USA Johnson Wagner -1 - 71 70 - - 141
CUT USA Richy Werenski -1 - 70 71 - - 141
CUT USA Ricky Barnes Par - 72 70 - - 142
CUT AUS Greg Chalmers Par - 71 71 - - 142
CUT USA Andres Gonzales Par - 74 68 - - 142
CUT USA Jim Herman Par - 68 74 - - 142
CUT USA Marty Jertson Par - 70 72 - - 142
CUT USA Patton Kizzire Par - 71 71 - - 142
CUT NZL Danny Lee Par - 70 72 - - 142
CUT SWE David Lingmerth Par - 74 68 - - 142
CUT FIJ Vijay Singh Par - 67 75 - - 142
CUT USA J.J. Spaun Par - 70 72 - - 142
CUT NZL Steve Alker 1 - 72 71 - - 143
CUT AUS Steven Bowditch 1 - 73 70 - - 143
CUT USA Dominic Bozzelli 1 - 69 74 - - 143
CUT USA Bob Estes 1 - 73 70 - - 143
CUT USA Robert Garrigus 1 - 68 75 - - 143
CUT USA Mark Hubbard 1 - 69 74 - - 143
CUT USA William McGirt 1 - 73 70 - - 143
CUT USA Kevin Na 1 - 68 75 - - 143
CUT USA JT Poston 1 - 69 74 - - 143
CUT USA Brian Campbell 2 - 70 74 - - 144
CUT USA Jon Curran 2 - 72 72 - - 144
CUT USA Peter Malnati 2 - 74 70 - - 144
CUT USA Grayson Murray 2 - 73 71 - - 144
CUT USA Scott Brown 3 - 68 77 - - 145
CUT USA Ken Duke 3 - 70 75 - - 145
CUT ARG Jason Etulain 3 - 74 71 - - 145
CUT USA Morgan Hoffmann 3 - 75 70 - - 145
CUT USA Hunter Mahan 3 - 74 71 - - 145
CUT USA Ollie Schniederjans 3 - 77 68 - - 145
CUT USA Brian Stuard 3 - 71 74 - - 145
CUT USA Bobby Wyatt 3 - 72 73 - - 145
CUT USA Matthew Every 4 - 72 74 - - 146
CUT USA Scott Stallings 4 - 74 72 - - 146
CUT USA Charley Hoffman 5 - 73 74 - - 147
CUT JPN Hiroshi Iwata 5 - 73 74 - - 147
CUT USA Patrick Rodgers 5 - 71 76 - - 147
CUT USA Tommy Gainey 6 - 73 75 - - 148
CUT USA Nick Watney 6 - 69 79 - - 148
CUT ENG Greg Owen 7 - 74 75 - - 149
CUT USA Jimmy Walker 8 - 74 76 - - 150
CUT KOR Sihwan Kim 9 - 74 77 - - 151
CUT USA Ben Martin 10 - 71 81 - - 152
RET USA Colt Knost -26 - 45 - - - 45
RET USA Nicholas Lindheim -10 - 71 61 - - 132
RET USA Kelly Kraft -3 - 73 66 - - 139
RET USA Ben Crane 2 - 73 - - - 73
RET AUS Stuart Appleby 5 - 76 - - - 76

 

About Ben Brett