Defending Masters champ implodes, ties highest single-hole score in tournament history
For one shining moment, even the worst weekend hacker can say he might be on par with a Masters champion.
Sergio Garcia’s title defense at Augusta National took a nightmarish turn Thursday on the par-5 15th hole.
Garcia hit five balls in the water and finished with a 13. That’s T-H-I-R-T-E-E-N — 8 over par.
Four of Sergio Garcia’s five shots into the water. pic.twitter.com/NzAubcBZ7c
— Nick Bromberg (@NickBromberg) April 5, 2018
His octuple bogey is the highest score on the 15th in Masters history, beating the mark of 11 held by the trio of Jumbo Ozaki (1987), Ben Crenshaw (1997) and Ignacio Garrido (1998).
Garcia’s 13 is also the highest score on any hole in the history of the tournament, tying him with Tommy Nakajima, who shot a 13 on the 13th in 1978, and Tom Weiskopf, who did the same two years later on the 12th.
I am not a scientist but this seems like a less than ideal shot tracker for Sergio Garcia pic.twitter.com/4ZiZMxxbsL
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) April 5, 2018
His effort reminded many of the famous scene in the movie “Tin Cup” where Roy McAvoy, played by Kevin Costner, repeatedly hits the same shot into the water.
welp…..sergio's going full tin cup
— Roy Bellamy (@roybelly) April 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/Kress_Golfnut/status/981974664623910925
https://twitter.com/ShooterMcGavin_/status/981974172644540422
Was I watching Sergio or Tin Cup? 5 in the water is impressive!
— Fredrik Gustafsson (@fredrikg419) April 5, 2018
In winning his first green jacket last year, Garcia had no trouble on the 15th hole in four rounds, scoring a par, two birdies and finally an eagle.
The last time Sergio played that hole he made an eagle 3.
Golf is a fickle game. pic.twitter.com/wDMtRzzNa4
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 5, 2018
Garcia finished the day with a 9-over-par 81, putting him even with firefighter Matt Parziale.
Defending champion Sergio Garcia has just tied the highest score ever on a single hole at Augusta.
He made a 13 at the par-5 15th hole.#theMasters pic.twitter.com/R7H8giXYHd
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 5, 2018
Relative unknown Haotong Li, a 22-year-old from China, was tied with American Tony Finau atop the leaderboard at 4 under par late Thursday afternoon.
Finau made headlines Wednesday when he dislocated his left ankle celebrating a hole-in-one — and then popped it back into place and kept playing.
The first day isn’t yet in the books and it’s already a memorable Masters.
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