Former Australian Masters champion Rod Pampling left the putter in his bag at The Australian today when he holed his second shot at the 10th hole of the third round to head the leaderboard in the Emirates Australian Open along with young American Jordan Spieth.
With his long-time coach Gary Edwin, who once tried to fix the Prime Ministerial swing of Bob Hawke, shadowing all the way, Pampling was looming as a genuine threat.
The 2013 US Masters champion Adam Scott today birdied the first and then the ninth holes with seven straight pars in between in the third round of to continue his comeback from a disappointing three over par 74 in the opening round.
Scott’s final hole meltdown on the 2013 championship at Royal Sydney to allow the now world No 1 Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy to hold the Stonehaven Cup aloft continues to be a thorn in his side.
Now Scott looks to redemption with for yet another showdown with McIlroy in the final group of tomorrow’s last round.
His two under front nine took him to four under after 45 holes – and the far easier back nine, with its two reachable pars five, beckoned.
McIlroy was doing his best to set up a successful defence, but birdies were few and far between on the front nine and he was level par through seven holes.
Young American Jordan Spieth was two under through seven holes and five under in total to sit alongside Pampling in the lead the way by one from Scott, Brett Rumford, Mcilroy and two-time Australian Open champion Greg Chalmers who were nearly the turn.
Long hitting amateur Todd Sinnott came to grief on the par five fifth hole when his drive found the trees and a double bogey seven resulted. He was two behind Pampling and Spieth.