PGA Championship 2025: Leader Jhonattan Vegas gets the break of a lifetime at par-3 17th
Maddie Meyer/PGA of America
Jhonattan Vegas may have just gotten the break of his life on Friday at the PGA Championship. Or, should we say, the bRAKE of his life. We'll explain ...
After grabbing the first-round lead at Quail Hollow, Vegas showed no signs of slowing down on Day 2, building on his lead with a one under through 10 holes start and then climbing all the way to 10 under with birdies on 13 and 14. With a par at No. 15, Vegas now entered the famed "Green Mile" with a four-shot advantage over the next closest competitor. The exact type of cushion you want to have heading into that house of horrors.
Vegas got off to a fine start, there, too, with a par at the 526-yard par-4 16th. To 17 he went, a par 3 that yields all kinds of scores depending on where you miss. Block it right and you're fairly safe. Pull it left and it's night night time. Vegas blocked it right, which looked like it was headed right into the grind-out-a-par zone right of the putting surface.
Then, an Act of God. Vegas' ball hit a bunker rake, which ricocheted it to the left, directly toward the hole setting up a 33-footer for birdie:
In an alternate universe, this ball hits the rake and deflects into the bunker, the water, or into that right rough, which could bring big numbers into play. Instead, not only did it get on the green, it got better by the second. Vegas went on to two-putt for a par he might remember late on Sunday evening should he go on to break through for his first major.
Vegas, smartly, made to sure to pay the rake tribute when he arrived at the green. Could end up being quite the memento at Quail Hollow some day. This situation also begs the question - should you leave the bunker rakes in the bunker or outside of the bunker? Oddly enough, we asked a superintendent this question last September, and the answer was quite interesting. We know which side of the debate Vegas is on now.
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