He’ll be making his third appearance in the season’s third major and second at Firestone.
Advertisement
“It was tough this year the way the dates fell”, said Spieth, who made 25 starts in the 2014-2015 PGA Tour season.
“I drove it in the rough and had got it right back on the green but left myself plenty of work”.
“That was very stressful, it wasn’t comfortable out there for me”, an emotional Jones, the world No. 81, said after receiving the Stonehaven Cup for the first time. “I could have let it slip and let it get away easily, but I ground it out”.
The Australian Open’s elevation as a tournament which grabs the eyes of the golf world has clicked on a simple formula… lure the best to the big courses and the buzz follows.
“I’ve watched the Australian Open for many years and just to have my name on that trophy is something I’ll never forget”.
Pampling opened with a bogey, but then recorded nine birdies – including twos on three of the four par-three holes – and an eagle.
This year, Pampling finished in fourth place with a six-under 278, but he has qualified for the British Open at Royal Troon in July next year for being among the top three finishers who were not already exempt. “Hopefully I haven’t peaked yet, I know I can hit it better than I did today and if I can get a few more putts we’ll have a good day tomorrow”. “If I can inspire young kids to play golf and help them out any way I can, if they’re interested in golf, sure”.
“We saw a wonderful thing in 2013 with Adam Scott’s fantastic victory lap, if you like, and the way he engaged with the crowds around the country and I fully expect to have Jason here next year”.
Pampling bogeyed the opening hole, but after that his card was a sea of red, with birdies at holes two, four, five, seven, eight, 11, 12, 14 and 17 to join Scott at 4-under par for the tournament.
That gave him a one-shot victory over Spieth and Scott. I thought he was due to make one and he didn’t.
Advertisement
“It’s unbelievable. I didn’t think it would be enough coming in”. Pampling would end up with an incredible nine birdies and an eagle at the last after draining a 70-foot putt for eagle, smashing the course record by two shots.
