Aussie rules at Palmer Invitational
Eagle on 16 propels Leishman to come-from-behind win at Bay Hill
ORLANDO, Fla. — Marc Leishman holed a 50-foot eagle putt on the 16th hole to take the lead Sunday, and he stayed there with two tough pars at the end to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational and earn a trip to the Masters.
In a final hour that saw four players hold at least a share of the lead, Leishman is the only one who didn’t blink.
His final act was a pitch and run from 45 yards away on the closing hole at Bay Hill that ran out to three feet. He calmly made the par putt for a 3-under 69 and one-shot victory over Kevin Kisner and Charley Hoffman.
The only thing missing was a handshake from the King. This was the first Arnold Palmer Invitational since the September death of the tournament host.
“You see guys win and he’s waiting there on the back of the green,” Leishman said. “And to not have that is obviously very sad, but to win here is just a dream come true.”
Rory McIlroy had as good a chance as anyone, storming into a share of the lead by hooking a wedge around a tree, over the water and over the green on the 16th, then nearly holing the eagle chip.
He had a 30-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead on the 18th, and after seeing that Leishman had made eagle on the 16th, gave it a good run. The putt went eight feet by and he three-putted for a 69 to finish two shots back.
“These things happen,” McIlroy said. “But I’m pleased with how I went.”
Tyrrell Hatton of England shot 71 to tie for fourth with McIlroy, while Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin, the Valspar Championship winner, closed with a 71 to finish three shots behind at 8-under 280 in a tie for sixth. The only other Canadian to make the cut, Brantford, Ont.’s Dave Hearn, tied for 34th at even-par 288.
Kisner and Hoffman also squandered away chances. Kisner had a three-shot lead at the turn, but failed to made another birdie the rest of the way. His lead began slipping away when Kisner missed the green on the par-5 12th with a sand wedge, pitched over the other side of the green and took bogey. He closed with a 73.
“I had it right there in the palm of my hand to win, and I didn’t get it done,” Kisner said.
Hoffman rallied from a 39 on the front nine to catch Kisner for the lead, only to three-putt for par on the 16th and then drop another shot from the bunker on the 17th.
“Proud of fighting back and making a birdie on the last to finish second, but obviously not what I wanted,” Hoffman said.
The timing was ideal for Leishman, beyond what he described as an honour to win at Bay Hill in the first tournament without Palmer. Instead of a blue blazer, the winner this year received a red cardigan sweater that Palmer favoured.
Instead of seeing Palmer, Leishman at least was able to share it with his family.
His two sons, ages 5 and 3, ran out to the 18th green when he finished, and his wife was off to the side. Audrey Leishman nearly died two years ago when she suffered from toxic shock syndrome, causing Leishman to hastily leave the Masters.
Now he’s going back. He was No. 62 in the world and had two weeks to secure a spot at Augusta.
“Mr. Palmer was an awesome guy who I was lucky enough to meet a few times,” Leishman said. “To honour him was huge. And it was the first time I won a tournament with my family here.”