MIAMI, March 20: Australia’s Rod Pampling held off Briton Greg Owen in a scrappy finish to clinch his second PGA Tour title by a shot at the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando, Florida on Sunday.
Four strokes ahead overnight, the 36-year-old fired a level-par 72 to finish on 14-under 274 at the Bay Hill Club.
Englishman Owen, chasing his first PGA Tour victory, had been one ahead with two holes to play before three-putting from just under four feet for a double-bogey five on 17.
He also bogeyed the last for a 69 and outright second place, effectively gifting Pampling the title.
Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke carded a 70 to lie a further stroke back in third with Australia’s Robert Allenby fourth at 11-under 277, after a 69.
Pampling, whose maiden PGA Tour victory came at the 2004 International, recovered after surrendering a two-shot lead with a double-bogey six at the 13th.
He birdied 15 and, despite a bogey on 17, became the second non-American to triumph in the tournament’s 40-year history. South Africa’s Ernie Els was the first in 1998.
Britain’s Lee Westwood birdied five of the last seven holes for a 67 and a share of fifth place at 10 under.
World number one Tiger Woods, a distant 10 strokes off the lead overnight, completed a frustrating week with a level-par 72.
Winner of a record four titles at Bay Hill, Woods offset four birdies with four bogeys to finish in a tie for 20th at four-under 284.
Leading final round scores:
274 — Rod Pampling (Australia) 70, 65, 67, 72.
275 — Greg Owen (Britain) 70, 69, 67, 69.
276 — Darren Clarke (Britain) 73, 70, 63, 70.
277 — Robert Allenby (Australia) 68, 67, 73, 69.
278 — Lee Westwood (Britain) 68, 71, 72, 67; Ted Purdy (US) 69, 71, 71, 67.
279 — Vijay Singh (Fiji) 71, 71, 68, 69.
280 — Justin Rose (Britain) 70, 70, 71, 69; Tom Pernice Jr (US) 68, 73, 68, 71.
281 — Fred Funk (US) 69, 75, 68, 69; Joey Sindelar (US) 70, 73, 69, 69; Scott Verplank (US) 72, 69, 70, 70; Dean Wilson (US) 66, 70, 73, 72; Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68, 69, 71, 73.
282 — Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 74, 69, 68, 71; Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 70, 70, 69, 73.
283 — Chad Campbell (US) 67, 71, 73, 72; Mike Weir (Canada) 69, 71, 71, 72; Lucas Glover (US) 67, 67, 72, 77.
284 — Charles Warren (US) 71, 72, 71, 70; Tiger Woods (US) 70, 71, 71, 72; Jim Furyk (US) 72, 69, 70, 73; Bart Bryant (US) 66, 71, 73, 74; Corey Pavin (US) 69, 69, 71, 75; Ben Curtis (US) 67, 73, 68, 76.
285 — Brian Gay (US) 70, 71, 73, 71; Brandt Jobe (US) 72, 70, 72, 71; Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 74, 70, 70, 71; Jason Gore (US) 67, 73, 73, 72; Bo Van Pelt (US) 72, 68, 71, 74; Kirk Triplett (US) 73, 70, 68, 74; Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 70, 68, 70, 77; Jason Bohn (US) 71, 68, 68, 78.—Reuters