At the buzzer
Players 2023: Horn blows just as tour pro blows up after rinsing tee shot, and it's hilarious (at least for us)
Keith Mitchell hits a shot on the 14th hole during the second round of the Players Championshp.
James Gilbert
We don’t know what kind of internal turmoil Keith Mitchell was facing in the moment. We do know that the first 13 holes of his second round on Friday in the Players Championship were eventful. Starting on No. 10 at TPC Sawgrass, Mitchell had made four birdies and four birdies to be even for the day and tied for 39th when he arrived at the No. 5 tee. At one point, from holes 14 through 1, he’d gone bogey-bogey-birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie. (He’d conquered the island 17th by making a 2 from 18 feet!). Some people love the roller coaster more than others.
Anyway, Mitchell arrived at the difficult par-4 fifth, with its fairway pinched down the right side by water. As it happened, PGA Tour officials were about to blow the horn to stop play because a thunderstorm was approaching. Presumably, Mitchell didn’t know that. So he took his swing with the driver, and the tracer told the story—bad slice … as did Mitchell’s full tomahawk of his club into the ground. Both the quick violence the shot produced and the thwack! it made was … well, hilarious. (Sorry Keith.)
But that’s not all. As the ball is in the air, the horn goes off, and it’s still blaring as Mitchell’s ball makes a big splash in the water, just a few yards short from the safety of the bank. Comical timing. As if the horn itself was mocking the shot.
And that’s still not all. The TV coverage cuts back to Mitchell, who now stands calm, hand to chin, elbow on the driver. Either he or his caddie (we can’t tell which) is heard to say, “Did it cover?” The other says matter-of-factly, “It did not.”
Now, this is sounding like the buddy who’s just trying to rub it in.
“It went in the water?”
“Yeah.”
Silence.
Again, sorry Keith, but this was the most entertaining 31 seconds we saw all day from TPC Sawgrass. So, thank you.
Now, go back out there on Saturday morning and somehow save par on that frickin’ beast. You deserve it.