Good Effort
PGA Championship 2025: Watch Johnson Wagner blade a chip shot off the property during latest 'Live From' segment
Johnson Wagner has been on a roll of late, in particular with his trip across North America to recreate some of Tiger Woods' most iconic shots from his historic 2000 season. But on Sunday night, it was his golf ball that was on way too much of a roll as the Golf Channel analyst attempted to recreate one of the pivotal shots of Sunday's final round at the PGA Championship.
Wagner plopped a couple golf balls in the collection area behind the 15th green, where Jon Rahm found himself late on Sunday. Still with a chance to claim a third career major—and to keep Scottie Scheffler from reaching that level—Rahm desperately needed to get up and down for birdie on the par 5. Instead, he rammed his putt from off the green by the hole and missed the comebacker for a disappointing par that kicked off him tumbling down the leaderboard over the final three holes.
Anyway, Wagner, a three-time PGA Tour winner during his playing days as well as a Quail Hollow member, got out there after the round to show viewers how tricky the shot was. First, he attempts to putt like Rahm did and winds up doing the exact same thing. Then, he tries to chip it. And it goes disastrously wrong, leaving Brandel Chamblee, Paul McGinley and Rich Lerner cackling back in the studio. Have a look:
"That's why you putt it," Wagner says. "That's why you putt it."
Weekend hackers have long been told getting the ball on the ground as soon as possible around the greens is the smartest option, but it's also the prudent play for the best players on the planet sometimes. Even a SPANIARD with a SEVE-like short game. (Here's more on why—and how—you should use this strategy the next time you play.)
Anyway, Rahm shouldn't feel too bad about how that hole turned out. Given how Scheffler finished, he probably needed to make eagle there. And even then, it likely wouldn't have been enough. Scottie Scheffler is a freaking wagon.
As for Wagner, we hope his chipping yips aren't back. Cross-handed or not, that's tough to watch.
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