Anirban Lahiri’s 10 nothing on Hogan’s 11 in Jacksonville Open
The TPC Sawgrass 18th hole nipped Anirban Lahiri’s chance to make the cut at THE PLAYERS
Anirban Lahiri might have been challenging a Ben Hogan record at the end of THE PLAYERS 2nd round.
High scores are not unknown in golf. Some have become legendary, like the 11 Ben Hogan famously posted for the140-yard, 6th hole at Hyde Park GC in the 1947 Jacksonville Open, which was one of the precursors to THE PLAYERS.
According to an Associated Press reporter at the time, as credited in the Times-Union, Hogan’s 11 was as eventful as if Ted Williams had hit “four home runs in three times at bat.”
So when Anirban Lahiri wrote a 10 on his scorecard for the 18th hole in the second round of THE PLAYERS, he could at least take comfort in the fact that he is not alone.
Lahiri came to the 18th tee with a good chance of making the cut, which looked like 1-over par at the time he played the hole. He stood at even par. Then an unfortunate series of events took place.
His tee shot went into the water at 279 yards. He got a shot penalty and was then lying two.
He dropped in the boundary of the tee box at which point, he was 399 yards form the hole. His next shot went 275 yards and also landed in the water. He got another penalty shot.
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He dropped another ball into the tee box at approximately 353 yards from the hole and struck the ball again. It went into the water. He got another penalty shot and was lying six.
In his next attempt from the front of the tee box, he found dry land 240 yards from the teeing area and had 126 yards to the hole.
His next shot, his 8th, landed on the green, 17 feet away from the pin.
He missed that putt. However, he made the one footer for 10.
Hogan’s 11
The story about Hogan that has been handed down over the years in golf writing circles says that when asked how he shot the 11, Hogan replied he missed a three-footer for 10.
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What really happened according to the Florida Times-Union reporter who covered the event, is that Hogan’s tee shot landed in the water. It was apparently about four inches deep, and Hogan tried to get it out four times.
Finally, he took a drop, and then with his fifth shot, somehow he hit the ball into the water again, this time into the center of the pond. He then dropped again, getting another penalty stroke for his efforts, finally hitting the ball onto the green, and two-putting for the 11.
Even though Lahiri’s 10 and Hogan’s 11 were painful, they are not even close to the highest scores shot on the PGA Tour, or its precursors the Jacksonville Open and the Greater Jacksonville Open. That honor belongs to Tommy Armour who had a 23 on the 17th hole in the 1927 Shawnee Open by hitting 10 balls out-of-bounds. It was called an Archaeopteryx, which means 15 or more shots over par. Just don’t try to say it before you’ve had your morning coffee.
Next: Sergio aces the TPC Sawgrass 17th
Who will break Lahiri’s 10-shot high score record for THE PLAYERS and on what hole will it be broken? Let the betting begin!