LOS ANGELES – Golf is a sport that can be brutally unforgiving, and Gordon Sargent, a top amateur golfer, got a taste of this reality on Sunday at the worst possible time.
Sargent had a par putt in front of him after putting on 18 for his final round. Sargent did everything right at that moment, and he deserved to finish the afternoon with a score of 2 under. He ended the tournament with a score of 3-over. A damaged cup could lead to the most unpredictable bounce.
Sargent’s putt bounced out of the cup in an unnatural manner. Sargent was in disbelief when he saw that he would have to settle for bogey for the hole, and 4-over-par for the tournament.
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What is the cause of this?
After his round, he stated: “You probably witnessed what happened at 18.” “I hit a 2-and-a half-footer up the hill, which bounced back at me. Haven’t seen it in a long time, but sometimes that happens.”
Gordon Sargent made this putt on 18. Imagine if it happened later today on a putt to win the U.S. Open.pic.twitter.com/NefFUXedIK
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS 18 June 2023
The U.S. Golf Association officials went to investigate what happened. Golf Association officials investigated what happened. The group that was playing before Sargent damaged the hole by mistake when they removed the flagstick. The USGA repaired the cup but it was not much consolation to Sargent who received an undeserved bogey.
Imagine if it happened to one of the golfers in contention? USGA saved Sargent from disaster, but golfers still couldn’t understand why the cup malfunction hadn’t been caught sooner.
Could it have been worse?
