Pros Are Just Like Us! (Sort of)
Marc Leishman sends playing partners scattering with full-bore shank into pond
We know that even the best golfers in the world are capable of hitting a shank (especially if their names are Webb Simpson and Ian Poulter). But on Thursday we saw that the best golfers in the world are capable of doing this even when they're playing their best golf.
Such was the case for Marc Leishman during the first round of the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship. The 38-year-old Aussie was cruising through his front nine and coming off four consecutive birdies when he arrived at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm's par-3 17th hole. And then he nearly gave all those birdies right back.
Leishman's struggles on the hole began with an errant tee shot into the left rough and his second found a bunker behind the green. But from there it got even uglier with a full-bore shank into the pond that sent his playing partners scattering. Check it out:
Yikes. Oh, and shout-out to Golf Digest's Hally Leadbetter on the call there for PGA Tour Live. That "OOOHHH" was perfect.
Fortunately, no one got hurt, but unfortunately for Leishman, no one or nothing kept his ball from going into the water. But as is the case with all these tour pro shanks, Leishman quickly showed why he's got his name on his bag.
After taking a penalty drop in the same bunker, he hit his next attempt to within three feet to save a triple bogey. And then he birdied his next hole. So yeah, these guys are good—even if they hit the occasional shank.