Rod Pampling may be one of the oldest teeing-up next week at The Australian Club but at 48-years of age there is no questioning his enthusiasm to add an Emirates Australian Open victory trophy to his Australian Masters victory crown.
Who will forget the 2015 Australian Open when ‘Pamps’ brilliantly set a new Australian Club course record with a stunning final day 10-under par 61 to lower Jordan Spieth’s last day 2014 victory low of 63 to win by six shots.
‘Pamps’ holed a 60-foot eagle at the 72nd hole to eventually finish fourth in 2015 and with the effort good enough to earn him a place in the following year’s Open Championship.
Two years on, the proud Brisbane-born golfer has again returned to Australia and a proud winner this past year on the 2016/17 wraparound PGA Tour schedule.
Rod Pampling celebrates with the winner’s trophy after the final round of the Shriners Hospitals For Children Open on November 6, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
His Shriners Hospital in Las Vegas capped his ‘16/1’7 season early and in just his third event and thanks to a last day 65, he won for a third time on the PGA Tour with victory in the
The win earned ‘Pamps’ a two-year exemption but given it came in November 2016 it was very much like a three-year exemption as he tee-up this year as a Tour winner and with the exemption ending at the close to the 2018/19 season.
However, even with the victory the past 12 months has been average by Pampling’s standards with just one other top-20 finish and that been in his very next week after winning in Nevada.
“The start to my season was great with the win but I just seem to fall into a comfort zone of being in a great spot with the exemption, and just very relaxed,” he said.
“I was happy and managed to qualify for the Play-Offs.”
Pampling ended his PGA Tour season with earnings of $US 1.54m to take his career earnings to $US 16.5m which is not too bad for the Brisbane-born pro who made the step in 1994 to the play-for-pay ranks.
And if you add what he’s earned already in three events of the ‘17/’18 season, the father of three is ranked 95th all-time leading winning on the PGA Tour.
Pampling will take to The Australian Club as the second-oldest in the field and some four years younger, at age 48 than Peter O’Malley.
“I turned 48 in September and while turning 50 is two years away, I am not thinking at Champions Tour,” he said.
“The good thing about the win that it took away that stress in striving to retain my card and it was just nice to get out and play golf not carrying that stress.
“There’s also questioning the fire in the belly as I just love being out competing.
“I also enjoy goofing around a bit with the younger fellows out on Tour as they are a great bunch of fellows.
“There’s guys like Cam (Cameron Smith) who is very young to the Tour but he likes having some fun which is great to see.
“And now after playing the first three events on the new ‘17/’18 schedule I’m looking forward to playing the Australian Open and Australian PGA.”
So, at 48-years of age can he win this 2017 Emirates Australian Open.
“After going so close two years ago, and thanks to that 61, it would be great to get myself in contention next week and win the Stonehaven Trophy, “ he said.
“Every Australian golfer sets himself the goal of trying to win your own national Open and it remains a very strong goal of mine as I would love to end my career with my name on the trophy.
“And that’s the beauty of golf as guys like Davie Love 111 won on the PGA Tour at 52. We might not feature as often as the young guys do, but when we’re there, we have a chance.
“We know how to win so the experience comes rushing back. So, the key is just when it comes, you know, we’re prepared for that and we can, hopefully, take advantage of it which is what I did in winning the Shriners.”
