Unable to force his way into the Champions Tour Charles Schwab Cup playoffs after turning 50 in September, Pampling returned to the main tour and looked set to storm home to a top-10 finish at the picturesque Port Royal Golf Club.

Three-under through 36 holes to make the cut by two shots, Pampling was 1-under through 10 holes on Saturday before he embarked on an extraordinary charge up the leaderboard.

Reminiscent of the 61 he shot at the Australian Open four years ago, Pampling went 10-under over the course of 18 holes from the 11th hole of his third round until the seventh of his final round.

In that space Pampling registered eight birdies and an eagle to sit on the verge of the top 10 but he endured a difficult back nine to fall well out of contention.

He was unable to scramble a par at the par-4 11th but it was at the par-4 14th where Pampling’s troubles went up a notch.

A lost ball from the tee led to a double bogey at the 14th, those dropped shots compounded by a second back-nine double at the par-3 16th where he was again forced to play three from the tee.

Despite his struggles late Pampling still finished the week as the top Aussie, one shot clear of Rhein Gibson with Cameron Percy and Kiwi Tim Wilkinson two shots further back in a tie for 48th.

On the PGA TOUR-LatinoAmerica tour Ryan Ruffels has three events to move into the top five on the Order of Merit after he was tied for 13th at the Termas de Rio Hondo Invitational at Rio Hondo Golf Club in Argentina.

Looking to push into the top 10 in the final round, Ruffels turned in 2-under but played the back nine in even par to maintain his position at 10th on the Order of Merit, the top five at season’s end earning promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020.

PGA TOUR
Bermuda Championship
Port Royal Golf Club, Southampton Parish, Bermuda

T31 Rod Pampling 70-69-65-71—275 $US18,338
T35 Rhein Gibson 68-69-67-72—276 $14,625
T48 Tim Wilkinson 69-69-70-70—278 $8,010
T48 Cameron Percy 69-70-70-69—278 $8,010
T62 John Senden 65-71-73-74—283 $6,600
MC Robert Allenby 71-71—142
MC Cameron Davis 71-74—145

PGA TOUR-LatinoAmerica
Termas de Rio Hondo Invitational
Rio Hondo Golf Club, Rio Hondo, Argentina

T13 Ryan Ruffels 70-68-67-70—275