Australian Rod Pampling proved to be just lucky enough this St. Patrick’s Day weekend to overcome a two-shot deficit with two holes to play. He started the day with a substantial four-shot lead, but quickly saw that lead collapse after carding a double-bogey six on the par-four 13th hole after shoving his drive out-of-bounds. He thought that he had handed the tournament to Greg Owen on a silver platter, the two-shot lead seemed too great to overcome in just two holes. However, Owen would take three putts to get down from 40 inches on the 17th green and would drop another stroke after a putt that looked center-cut agonizingly lipped out on the 72nd hole. “I can’t believe it missed,” he said afterward. “I cannot believe it missed.”
Pampling used to be known as that guy who held the first-round lead of the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie only to blow up Friday and miss the cut. Now he’s known as only the second non-American player to ever win the Bay Hill Invitational.

Greg Norman wants to see the the PGA Tour’s books. As Tim Rosaforte says
For over two decades the Bay Hill Club & Lodge and
Luke Donald won his first PGA Tour event after only three rounds, thanks to two days of rain showers. Now he’s doubled both his career PGA victories and added to the number of rounds it took to win each of them. The Blonde Briton shot a final-round 69 (-3) with a clutch birdie on the 72nd after he stuck his approach to four feet and increased his lead to two. Donald believes this is just one step toward his goal, “I think it’s definitely a step in the right direction. Anytime you can win, especially out here on the PGA Tour, it’s a huge boost of confidence. Hopefully this will just keep the momentum going.”
This week there will be plenty of players to give Tiger Woods a run for the money, especially since Tiger won’t be there. I know, I know, that’s mean to say but it seems the case lately that if Tiger isn’t there to win an event then someone is there to lose and win it for him. However, this week isn’t about him, it’s about the several first time winners at Mirasol the past few years including the defending champion Padraig Harrington. Last year, Padraig blazed the field and tied the course record and his career best with a 63 and should get the credit for the win but still needed Vijay to miss a three-footer to secure the win on the second playoff hole.
This tournament was shaping up to be an excellent one from the get-go. Tiger Woods led the way after Thursday’s opening round in which he fired a 64 the 65s of Camilo Villegas, Phil Mickelson, David Toms, Rich Beem, Zach Johnson, Scott Verplank, and Mark Wilson. Friday, Woods and Mickelson drew into a tie at -13, and both played together Saturday, with Tiger Woods once again eclipsing Phil by three as he did last year.
Wow, how time flies! Last year’s
If the audience of the 2006 World Golf Championship Accenture Match Play Tournament has learned anything, it’s that match play is ridiculously unpredictable.
The PGA Tour makes another stop in my beautiful sunny state with the