Well Played
Surprising PGA Tour winner and caddie take hilarious photo with tree that made it all possible
Hector Vivas
Quick, what's the luckiest break in golf history? Fred Couples' golf ball staying out of Rae's Creek at the 1992 Masters? Tiger Woods' golf ball bounding down a path at the 2000 PGA Championship? Tommy Fleetwood banking one off a giant boulder to make a simulator ace? All good answers (well, not the last one as much), but none top what happened on Sunday in the Mexico Open.
Playing the 18th hole at Vidanta Vallarta for the second playoff hole, Brian Campbell sliced a drive so bad it wasn't just going OB, but potentially all the way back to the U.S. Yet, miraculously, Campbell's golf ball caromed off a tree (or three) and wound up back in play. Have a look for yourself:
Unreal stuff. Good, clean living, huh?
It was an incredible break for the 31-year-old journeyman looking for his elusive first pro win. And it wound up being a big dagger for 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter (and his bettors). Because Campbell, whose tournament chances would have been cooked had his ball stayed OB, took full advantage of the second life by making birdie to win. And after, he acknowledged just how lucky he was when asked by Golf Channel's Damon Hack about his final, fortunate tee shot.
"Oh my gosh, that bounce," Campbell said struggling to find the words. "I mean, I'll take it."
And a little after that, Campbell and his caddie went back out to 18 to more properly thank their favorite tree(s) on the property:
Great stuff. Well, again, if you're not Potgieter's family or someone holding a Potgieter ticket. Those people probably want to take a chainsaw to that entire area.