The Loop

Watch two European Tour pros perfectly use the grandstands as a backboard in the same round

April 29, 2017

To win at golf's highest level, you usually need a bit of good fortune. And if Dylan Frittelli or George Coetzee go on to win this week's European Tour event, it won't be hard to identify the lucky break that put them over the top.

In the third round of the Volvo China Open, both players got fantastic bounces off the grandstands on the 18th hole that turned potential trouble into eagle attempts. First, it was Coetzee, whose errant approach on the par 5 caromed to within four feet of the hole.

Must be nice. Coetzee converted the eagle to shoot 71 and grab a share of seventh place entering the final round. A little later, it was Frittelli's turn to take advantage of the grandstands being so close to the green:

Frittelli didn't make the putt, but he happily settled for a birdie and a 64 that gave him a three-shot lead over Pablo Larrazabal heading into Sunday. The former University of Texas star is looking for his first European Tour title after beating the field average by nearly 15(!) strokes over the previous two rounds.

If you're playing that well, you don't need much luck to win. But hey, it never hurts.