Around the wider world of golf: Scott McCarron won the Dominion Charity Classic on the Champions Tour; Daniel Nisbet won the Clearwater Bay Open on the PGA TOUR China; Shanshan Feng won the TOTO Japan Classic on the LPGA; Beth Allen won the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open on the LET; Thorbjørn Olesen won the Turkish Airlines Open on the ET; and Hideto Tanihara won the HEIWA PGM Championship on the Japan Golf Tour. And of course, in college golf earlier in the week, the Illinois men and the Duke women won the East Lake Cup.
In the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes, ninth chapter, eleventh verse, it says something like the race isn't always to the swift, nor victory to the strong.
I can think of no better way to describe Rod Pampling's victory at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. It's been a decade since Pampling won, and he's been struggling with his game. He was being chased down by young powerhitters like Brooks Keopka and not-quite-as-young major winners like Lucas Glover. The folks at GC were debating how the 47-year-old Australian would deal with the unfamiliar pressure. I guess you'd say he was considered neither swift nor strong.
But from all accounts, he dealt with it pretty well. Four birdies in the last six holes isn't what you expect from someone who's struggling, is it? Rod summed it up best in this PGATOUR.com post:
“I don't want to go out with people thinking, oh, Pampling, he's still out here just filling in the numbers. I knew I could still win out here, and this is fantastic, and it justifies the hard work we've put in. So I'm looking forward the next few years."In fact, after his win he said he thought he might have a couple more PGA Tour wins in him before he goes to the Champions Tour. And why not? With this win, he's exempt all the way until he's 50. And if his short game stays anywhere near as hot as it was this past week in Vegas, I see no reason why he shouldn't win again. There are plenty of venues that suit his game just fine, thank you very much.
So Rod, it's my pleasure to salute a man who reminded the young guys that there's more to this game than just bomb and gouge. I believe this is your first-ever Limerick Summary... and you deserve it!
Who says that the old guys can't play?The photo came from this page at golfweek.com.
Who says youth and power win the day?
When his short game heats up,
Rod can fill up the cup
With the best of 'em. That's what I say!
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