Journeyman Steven Bowditch held on like grim death to win his first USPGA tournament on Sunday, taking out the Texas Open at San Antonio by one shot after a bogey at the last.
More than can be said for Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, who was again sawn off by his team, and the Australian cricketers, who were all out for a humiliating 86 to be thrashed by India by 73 runs.
The 30-year-old Bowditch, playing his 110th tournament, blew a three-shot overnight lead in the first four holes. But showing great courage while visiting most of the bad parts of the course, and aided by his chasers having ordinary days, Bowditch won over a million bucks with an 8-under 280, a shot to the good of Will McKenzie and Daniel Summerhayes.
The win was the latest in the Aussie assault since Adam Scott won the Masters a year ago.
In 2013:
In 2014:
For Bowditch, the win ensured a start in his first Masters at Augusta. To him nothing else matters, for the moment.
Pity Daniel Ricciardo can’t say the same.
Having had his second place at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix stripped for a faulty FIA sensor, on Sunday he was the victim of a botched pit stop that saw his front left wheel not secured. He was running fourth at the time, with 15 laps to go.
The aftermath to the pit stop was even more painful, with Ricciardo copping a 10-grid penalty for next week’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
Why hasn’t Ricciardo’s teammate Sebatian Vettel got a faulty sensor, and why are all of Vettel’s pit stops perfect? Red Bull has a lot to answer for, as Mark Webber found out before he told his bosses he was out of there.
No such excuses for the Australian cricketers at the World Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh.
Chasing India’s 159 after another wimpy bowling effort, Australia was bundled out for 86, their third loss in three, with only a win last night against lowly Bangladesh to round out their pathetic assignment.
Worst offender with the bat? Glenn Maxwell.
His reverse sweep to be bowled was as ugly a shot as ever seen, and totally unneccessary. Had he not premeditated the folly, the delivery was right in his wheelhouse to plant at least 20 rows back in the stand as he had done with three previous sixes.
Instead, he looked the cowboy he tends to be when he takes a massive wrong option.
So a bad night watching the Aussies on duty. Thankfully, Steven Bowditch came though well after breakfast – albeit with a nail-biting finish.
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