We’ve all been there… Going along nicely, entering the final few holes thinking that if we can finish out the round well then we’ve a very tasty lunch to look forward to. Then, disaster strikes.
It could be a ricochet that flies out of bounds, a fatted iron that splashes short in the water, an inexplicable three-putt from 12 feet, or a series of duffed chips. Suddenly, to use poker parlance, you’re on full tilt.
Usually though, you’ve only got your playing partners’ ribbing to deal with, so spare a thought for PGA Tour rookie William Mouw who was on course to make the first cut of his maiden big-Tour season at the American Express Championship.
At -6 as he reached the par-5 16th hole at the Pete Dye Stadium Course at La Quinta, the 23-year-old suffered the sort of meltdown that would have even 24-handicappers contemplating dumping the clubs in the nearest wheelie bin.
And the worst part? It was all caught on camera!
Mouw missed the green left on approach, finding himself in the bunker, well below the level of the green. It was a nightmarish position for your average player, but for a PGA Tour pro, not all that difficult on paper to make a par at least.
What unfolded was pure carnage. He’d end up taking five swings in that bunker, twice escaping but overshooting the green only to see heavy-handed chips put him back in. He’d finally card an eight-over-par 13 on the hole, killing all hopes of making the cut.
William Mouw making a 13 today is incredible to watch.
— Tour Pro 🏌️♂️ (@OfficialTourPro) January 18, 2025
But his round wasn’t over yet, and the last thing you need after making a complete mess of a hole in that fashion is a par-3 to an island green. His first two attempts splashed in the water – one right, one left – before he finally found dry ground.
Ironically, he’d hole a 29-footer for a triple bogey-six, and parred his final hole for a nine-over 81.
Every PGA Tour rookie dreams of becoming a household name, but I’m not sure that this is quite the way that Mouw had in mind.
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