European drought continues at Bay Hill Invitational
Once again there was no European success tonight at the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando, but in the cruellest possible way.
Irishman Darren Clarke, who equalled his lowest round in America with a Saturday 63, shot a 70 to finish third - but all eyes were on Englishman Greg Owen, who suffered a simply crushing defeat after being poised to win his first US Tour title.
A week after Luke Donald captured the Honda Classic, Owen had a three-foot par putt on the penultimate hole of to take a two-stroke lead.
But not only did Owen miss that one, he failed to make the two-footer coming back – and then lipped out with his 13-foot par putt on the last to lose by one to Australian Rod Pampling.
It would have been a victory to change Owen’s career. Apart from the huge amount of money he missed out on, the difference between first and second being US$395,000 (€324,326), he would have leapt from 95th in the world to the mid-thirties and been sure of a Masters debut in two weeks’ time.
He would have earned a two-year US Tour exemption and he would also, now that he is back as a European tour member, leapt into the top 10 in the race for places in Europe’s Ryder Cup team.
But Owen’s lack of concentration on the 17th – he failed to line up his second putt in his usual way – cost him dear when he followed it by pulling his approach to the last into sand and, by the narrowest of margins, failed to get up and down.
Pampling, who had been two clear of Owen and Clarke with a round to play, won with a closing 72 and 14 under par total.
Owen turned in 33, added another birdie on the 10th despite driving into sand and drew level after the Queenslander drove out of bounds on the 13th and double-bogeyed.
The former British Masters champion, who overcame back surgery to win a US Tour card at the end of 2004, then went ahead by holing a 30-footer from the fringe of the 14th green.
Pampling came back with a birdie on the next, only for Owen to nose in front again when he got up and down from sand at the long 16th.
But it all turned horribly sour for the 34-year-old right at the end and his best-ever finish on the circuit will not be a happy memory.
Owen had been a majestic six under for the first 16 holes, but finished double bogey, bogey for a 69.
Owen can still make the Masters, but will have to shake off his disappointment to move into the world’s top 50 after this week’s Players Championship. That won’t be easy.
Tiger Woods, never a factor all week, finished 20th despite not breaking 70 in any round, while Nick Faldo, 61st after 54 holes, withdrew before teeing off again. Faldo pulled out of last week’s event because of his father’s ill-health.
