Date: November 05, 2016
Author: Martin Blake

Pampling keeps lead in Vegas

Rod Pampling made a nice comeback in his second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas to retain the lead today.

The 47-year-old Australian rebounded from two early bogeys to reach 14-under through two rounds at TPC Summerlin, following his astonishing first-round 60 on Thursday.

The Queenslander momentarily lost the lead on day two, but aA tap-in birdie at his last hole, the ninth on the course, followed a near-miss eagle. It gave him a 68, three-under par for the day, after his rocky start.

"The hole looked really big yesterday,'' he told Golf Channel afterward. "Starting out, I didn't think they'd cut one, early on! I changed ball-markers, I knew I was putting good, I kind of threw out a new vibe and it started to work. I knew it wasn't bad. It happened and just let it keep going. I corrected myself and played nice after that.''

Brooks Koepka of the United States at 13-under is his nearest challenger.

Another Australian, Matt Jones, is in the top-10 at nine-under par.