Hoge Goes Lower Than Anyone Ever at TPC Sawgrass

In the third round of The Players, something extraordinary happened. Tom Hoge, a guy who has just one victory on the PGA Tour in a dozen years as a professional, did something no one else has ever been able to do.

He shot a new course record, 62, at one of the most annoyingly difficult courses on the planet: TPC Sawgrass.

OK, it rained yesterday, and the course was slightly softer than it had been for the first two rounds, but a record on one of the most demanding courses in the world is a real achievement. It’s history.

Brandel Chamblee on Live from The Players said TPC Sawgrass was like a rottweiler with a bad tooth. He called it, “the most stressful golf course in the world.”

There were nine golfers who had shot a 63 in competition, including the guy who did it first, Fred Couples, in 1992, and the Tour’s newest enemy, Greg Norman, in 1994.

Before that, Couples had the record alone at 64, which he shot on the way to victory in 1984. He held or shared a portion of the record for 39 years.

There were no eagles and no bogeys in Tom Hoge’s 62 at TPC Sawgrass.

There were no eagles and no bogeys in Hoge’s 62. Just very solid play. Tom Hoge started his round on the 10th hole because he was more than halfway down the field of golfers and the PGA Tour was playing catch up after a rain delay yesterday. So, they sent players off of No.1 and No.10 in threesomes.

"“Today was going to be the day to do it if you were going to out here because it was soft with little wind, so you felt like you could make birdies and keep trying to make birdies,” he said after his round. “So just felt fortunate and tried to take advantage of it the best I could.”"

Shots Tom Hoge particularly remembered were a hybrid second shot on the 11th which left him about 14 feet for eagle. On the 12th, he hit a driver off the tee on the drivable par four, and it landed about 7 feet from the pin. Tom Hoge missed the putt, but still made birdie.

Tom Hoge: Here is every shot from his record-breaking round on Saturday.

The Par 4 10th

• 3-wood off tee: 257 yds. to left. fairway
• 8-iron: 157 yds. to hole
• Putt 1: 47 ft. 2 in.
• Putt 2: 2 ft. 1 in. to hole
• Par

The Par 5 11th

• Driver: 289 yds. to left. fairway,
• Hybrid: 255 yds. to hole.
• Putt 1: 13 ft. 4 in. to hole
• Putt 2:13 in. to hole
• Birdie

The Par 4 12th

• Driver: 287 yds. to green
• Putt 1: 7 ft. 0 in. to hole
• Putt 2: 2 ft. 1 in. to hole
• Birdie

The Par 3 13th

• 8-iron: 154 yds. to green
• Putt 1: 28 ft. 11 in.
• Putt 2: 9 in.
• Par

The Par 4 14th

• Driver: 300 yds. to left fairway
• 7-iron: 176 yds. to green
• 33 ft. 10 in. to hole
• Putt 1: 35 ft. 2 in.
• Putt 2: 15 in. to hole
• Par

The Par 4 15th

• Driver: 290 yds. to left fairway
• 8-iron: 163 yds. to green
• Putt 1: 4 ft. 0 in. to hole
• Birdie

The Par 5 16th

• Driver: 284 yds. to right fairway
• Hybrid: 239 yds. to hole
• Putt 1: 60 ft. 9 in. to hole
• Putt 2: 12 in. to hole
• Birdie

The Par 3 17th

• Pitching wedge: 129 yds. to green
• Putt 1: 20 ft. 7 in. to hole
• Putt 2: 3 ft. 4 in. to hole
• Par

The Par 4 18th

• 3-wood: 281 yds. to left fairway
• 8-iron:160 yds. to hole
• Putt 1: 11 ft. 9 in. to hole
• Birdie

The Par 4 1st

• Driver: 291 yds. to tree outline
• Pitching wedge: 127 yds. to hole
• Putt 1: 50 ft. 5 in.
• Putt 2: 20 in. to hole
• Par

The Par 5 2nd

• 3-wood: 258 yds. to left rough
• 8-iron: 272 yds. to hole
• Pitching Wedge: 135 yds. to hole
• Putt 1: 18 ft..11 in. to hole
• Birdie

The Par 3 3rd

• 9-iron: 158 yds.
• Putt 1: 3 ft. 8 in. to hole
• Birdie

The Par 4 4th

• 3-wood: 265 yds. to right fairway
• 52-degree wedge: 123 yds. to hole
• Putt 1: 9 ft. 1 in. to hole
• Birdie

The Par 4 5th

• Driver: 270 yds. to left fairway
• 5-iron: 206 yds. to hole
• Putt 1: 11 ft. 10 in. to hole
• Putt 2: 21 in. to hole
• Par

The Par 4 6th

• Hybrid: 260 yds. to trees
• Pitch out of trees: 54 yds.
• 60-degree wedge: 91 yds. to hole
• Putt 1: 7 ft. 9 in. to hole
• Par

The Par 4 7th

• Driver: 281 yds. to left fairway
• 7-iron: 153 yds. to hole
• Putt 1: 23 ft. 6 in. to hole
• Putt 2:  4 ft. 2 in. to hole
• Par

The Par 3 8th

• Hybrid: 230 yds. to green
• Putt 1: 24 ft. 0 in. to hole
• Birdie

The Par 5 9th

• Driver: 290 yds. to right fairway
• 6-iron: 191 yds. to left fairway
• 56-degree wedge: 92 yds. to hole
• Putt 1: 10 ft. 1 in. to hole
• Birdie

Total:  62