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 and Sean Connery go after Tim Finchem and Sherwood Country Club, the South Korean Prime Minister quits in a “golf scandal,” the odds on Tiger winning the Grand Slam in 2006 are a measly 30:1, and a little Phil Mickelson news: being dumped by Ford and holding out on hybrids. This and a whole lot more in this week’s Golf Talk Podcast.
Donald Ross (1872-1948) was born at Dornoch in Scotland. He grew up playing the famous Royal Dornoch golf links and apprenticed under “Old” Tom Morris for a year at St. Andrews. Ross’ name has become synonymous with golf and as a testament to his genius, there are nine of his courses on Golf Digest’s list of
I thought I could use an “edge” when playing golf to maximize my performance on the course. I was running out of steam and a bit achy at the end of a round of golf. I figured that exercise alone just wasn’t enhancing my performance in spite of the fact that all the tour pros insist that using weight training equipment and stretching would help me achieve that par score that is so evasive to me.
My main goal for 2006 is to
Welcome to the second ever “What’s in the Bag?” here in The Numbers Game. I thought it was time to check the bags of the winners on the PGA Tour again and see where we stand. Last year TaylorMade dominated the clubs
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
Staff member Jeff Smith was a 24-handicap golfer who has only really gotten serious about his golf game last year (2005). Jeff is a strong golfer who fits an over-the-top move that, combined with his tremendous clubhead speed, leads to even more tremendous slices.