Owen left to rue costly lapse

The best finish of Greg Owen’s US Tour career was not a cause for celebration today. Far from it.

The 34-year-old from Mansfield, England snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando in a manner that could haunt him if he never makes amends.

A week after Luke Donald captured the Honda Classic, Owen was poised for the biggest moment in his career when he stood on the 71st and penultimate green with a three-foot putt to take a two-stroke lead.

But not only did he miss that one, he too casually failed to make the two-footer coming back – and then after finding sand with his approach to the last, lipped out again with a 13-foot par putt to lose by one to Australian Rod Pampling.

The difference between winning and losing was almost €360,000 and Owen, three over par for the last two holes after covering the first 16 in a brilliant six under, would have qualified for a Masters debut if he had become the first European to take the event.

He said afterwards: “I did real great until 17 and, I don’t know, just lack of concentration and throw away a tournament.

“You can accept missing the first putt, but just to throw away a shot like that after the hard work you’ve done all week is just stupid. That’s what I’ve done.

“I don’t know how I’ll deal with this, but it’s not going to be easy. You don’t get many chances to win on the PGA Tour and on a great golf course like this.

“I had it in my pocket. It was there and I threw it away, so we’ll find out. Play again next week and see what happens there.”

He is in the field for the Players Championship at Sawgrass, but to be part of the Masters he still has to climb into the world’s top 50 – second place in Orlando saw him move up from 95th to 53rd.

“I was very relaxed. I just kept picking a shot and trying to hit it and I did it nearly all day – and then I don’t know,” added Owen.

“There was nothing fazed me. I just got on with it. I can’t say I got nervous on that putt. I just moved on it, I got quick on it, I just lost concentration. It was just one of those silly mistakes that I’ll be remembered for.

“I can’t believe the one on the last missed. One of them things where it just kicks you in the teeth.

“I hit the best putt of the day there and you see it going in and the next thing you turn around and it’s come out. It’s just one of them things where you say ’well, it wasn’t meant to be’.

“It all comes down to my putting again.”

Darren Clarke, who like Owen had been four behind Pampling with a round to go, finished third, while Lee Westwood was fifth and Justin Rose eighth.

Another aspect of Owen’s blunder was the effect it had on his Ryder Cup chances.

He is back as a member of the European tour and eligible again and would have leapt from 76th to ninth in the race by winning. But now it still looks a tall order to make it.