This week the PGA Tour heads to Florida and the famed Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Often billed as golf’s 5th major, The Players Championship sees the best of the best in the world of golf go head to head on one of the most famous and fiendish golf courses in the world, well known of course because of its amazing par 3 17th.
The 17th at Sawgrass is without doubt one of the world’s most famous golf holes and its island green strikes fear into even the most seasoned tour pros. Spare a thought then for Angelo Spagnolo, America’s Worst Avid Golfer, who once carded an astonishing 66 on the fearsome island green par 3.
Yes…you read that correctly…a 66!
Selected by Golf Digest from hundreds of entrants, Angelo was one of four golfers to compete for the title of America’s Worst Avid Golfer and boy did he deliver!
After a solid 99 on the front nine Angelo made the turn which, just like on tour, is where things started to become difficult.
7 holes later and with 12, 16, 6, 4, 13, 15 & 8 on the scorecard he stepped onto the 17th tee.
132 yards to an island green with the wind swirling is intimidating for even the best players in the game so imagine the palpitations being suffered by Spagnolo who described the 132 crossing to the green as looking like “the English Channel”.
The green on the 17th at Sawgrass isn’t an easy target to find and, as Angelo Spagnolo found out the heard way, the water surrounding it is!
Angelo topped his opening tee shot, sending the ball spinning to a watery grave and proceeded to the drop zone.
The drop zone is only 50 yards from the putting surface but that didn’t stop Spagnolo hitting his remaining golf balls, all 12 of them, into the water either short or long of his intended target. Armed with replacement golf balls supplied by Sawgrass, America’s Worst Avid Golfer continued his assault on the 17th, hitting another 12 balls into the water before being advised to putt his way around the hole, across the bridge and onto the green.
Of course, as an avid golfer, Angelo wasn’t interested. “No,” he replied to the suggestion that he should accept defeat. “The hole wasn’t designed to be played that way. What will people say?”
Three whiffs and a total of 27 balls in the water, Angelo finally relented, taking out the putter and following his caddie’s advice to putt his way to safety.
“I seriously wanted to play the game without resorting to miniature golf. One of the TV networks gave me uncut footage of that hole; it was like watching my fingernails get pulled out.”
Finally on dry land with the hole in sight, Spagnolo fittingly three putted for a massive 66 which is 3 more than Greg Norman’s course record of 63!
Angelo finished with a 22 on the 18th and signed for a total of 257.
Golfers all around the world will be frustrated, infuriated and embarrassed by the game of golf the next time they tee it up. Our advice would be to spare a thought for Angelo.
Watch Angelo return to the scene of his golfing crime (a 66 on a par 3!) seeking redemption…it doesn’t exactly so smoothly but he does beat his personal worst!
Click Here to visit the Sawgrass Stadium Course Photo Guide.
Yes, true, I really do stink at golf, but if you’d like to know the whole story behind how I came to be the only person in the entire history of sports to ever be determined to be the “Worst”, go to Amazon and check out my new book, “Life’s an Unplayable Lie”. As the cover says, “A lifetime’s-worth of unbelievable, true golf stories…”