Rod Pampling thought he had thrown away the Bay Hill Invitational at Orlando. Greg Owen gave it right back yesterday by missing two putts inside 3 feet that could haunt him for some time.

Pampling closed with an even-par 72 for a one-shot victory over Owen, but this tournament will be remembered more for Owen needing three putts from 40 inches on the 17th hole.

"It was one of those silly mistakes I'll be remembered for," Owen said somberly.

Trying to win his first PGA Tour event, Owen took the lead by getting up-and-down from the bunker on the par-5 16th for a one-shot lead. And when Pampling failed to make par on the 17th, the tournament appeared to be over.

Owen was two shots clear, with only 40 inches of grass between his ball and cup.

He pushed the par putt so badly that it never touched the hole. Quickly and angrily, he stepped to the other side of the hole and rapped his bogey putt. It dipped in-and-out of the cup, and the gallery gasped.

If that wasn't cruel enough, on 18, Owen hit a remarkable shot from the bunker with his feet above the ball, leaving himself a 12-foot par putt straight up the hill. He hit what he called his best putt of the week, fully expecting it to go in and force a playoff.

Not on this day. The ball caught the back of the lip and spun away, and Owen was shocked. He dropped his putter, turned his back on the hole and covered his face with his hands.

"I can't believe it missed," he said numbly. "I cannot believe it missed."

Pampling finished at 14-under 274 and captured his second PGA Tour victory, the other coming at the International two years ago. But it was difficult to celebrate this one. He won $990,000.

Pampling, who had a four-shot lead at the start of the final round and was still three shots clear at the turn, let the lead slip away when he hit his tee shot on the 13th hole into a backyard well right of the fairway, out of bounds. He made double bogey to fall into a tie for the lead, then couldn't keep up with Owen.

Pampling missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 16th to fall one behind, and then missed his 10-foot par putt on the 17th.

Darren Clarke closed with a 70 and wound up alone in third at 276.

Former Kane'ohe resident Dean Wilson finished with a 72—281 and earned $126,500. He moved from 37th to 32nd on the PGA Tour money list at $526,397. Rory Sabattini tops the money list at $2,219,294.

LPGA TOUR

INKSTER WEATHERS STORM

Hall of Famer Juli Inkster had waited three years for an LPGA Tour victory. So she didn't fret when a freak desert hailstorm at Superstition Mountain, Ariz., delayed her tee time by two hours.

Inkster went back to her room, turned on the NCAA tournament and relaxed. When play resumed, she overcame a four-stroke deficit to win the Safeway International, shooting a 5-under 67 to finish at 15-under 273, two strokes ahead of Sarah Lee (73). Aree Song (73) finished third at 12 under.

Inkster was preparing for the final round on Superstition Mountain's Prospector Course when she learned that play had been suspended by hail, rain and wind.

"You know, with college basketball on, it was a blessing," Inkster said. "I got my PJs back on and crawled into bed and watched the NCAA tournament."

CHAMPIONS TOUR

BRYANT WINS BY A STROKE

Brad Bryant won his first Champions Tour title, closing with a 5-under 66 for a one-stroke victory over Bobby Wadkins, John Harris and 2005 winner Mark Johnson in the Toshiba Classic at Newport Beach, Calif.

Bryant finished with a 9-under 204 total and earned $247,500. Wadkins also closed with a 66 and Harris and Johnson shot 68s.

"I didn't think that 9 under would win," said Bryant, playing his 27th event on the 50-and-over tour. "I thought it would take around 15 to win."

Bryant, who won the 1995 Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic for his lone PGA Tour title, birdied five of the last eight holes after opening with 10 straight pars. He finished the round with a 7-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

"I was more than a little excited to say the least," Bryant said. "It's been a long time since I've been in that position. My heart was going 100 mph."