Rod Pampling birdied three of his first eight holes Sunday and went wire-to-wire to win the PGA Tour Champions SAS Championship at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, North Carolina.
The 54-year-old Australian held a one-stroke lead entering the final round and made sure it stood up by shooting 5-under 67.
“It’s all the hard work you put in, it’s nice for it to pay off,” Pampling said. “The guys out here now, they’re phenomenal players, they really are. You look at the field every week, we’ve got eight Hall of Famers out here and there’s another eight who are just playing phenomenal golf. To get out on top when the majority of the guys are here is awesome, it really is. It’s very rewarding.”
Pampling shot a 54-hole aggregate of 15-under 201, two strokes better than New Zealand native Steven Alker, who closed in 68. It marked Pampling’s second career victory on the senior circuit.
Inclement weather meant Pampling had to play 33 holes on Sunday, but he was up to the task.
“It mightn’t look it,” he said, “but I try to keep myself in shape.”
One of those Hall of Famers Pampling was talking about included Ernie Els, who finished tied for third with Mario Tiziani at 11 under. Pampling, who had last won at the 2020 Boeing Classic, said winning never gets old.
“It can be a four-ball down the street with your mates or whatever it is, winning is phenomenal,” said Pampling, who won three times on the PGA Tour. “It doesn’t have to be for a lot, it’s just the fact that you’ve won on that day. In this game it doesn’t happen a lot, so you cherish every one of them.”