Conditions at The Players Championship were extremely difficult on Friday, with firm, fast greens making way for swirling wind that caused numbers in the field to increase rapidly.
Certainly things were tough, and that was proven for Patrick Cantlay at the par 4 fourth hole, where the World No.4 managed to putt his birdie opportunity into the water that guards the front edge and left side of the green!
A treacherous pin position at No. 4 today.The par 4 is playing nearly half a shot over par. pic.twitter.com/PpxbqFXilsMarch 10, 2023
The fourth hole, which had been playing half a shot more difficult on the day, saw a tucked front left pin which did, indeed, have a slope to the right of the hole that could help approach shots into the green funnel their way down to the flag.
However, if you didn’t hit this slope, you were faced with a lightning fast putt that was incredibly hard to judge. That proved to be the case for Cantlay, who was faced with a near 85-foot putt that would make any player slightly weak at the knees…
The American had started his second round well on Friday, birdieing his opening hole before following it up with two pars to sit at one-under for the day. Playing the fourth, he pulled his tee shot and then found the right side of the green with his approach. A two-putt would be a great result, but what followed next was very un-Cantlay like, especially when he ranks as one of the best putters on the PGA Tour.
Cantlay stands with his caddie as his golf ball rolls into the water at the fourth hole
(Image credit: Getty Images)
As the ball rolled towards the hole, it was clear that it had too much pace on it, with the ball hitting the slope and running like a train as it sailed past the flag. It didn’t stop there though, as not only did it roll over the green, but also through the fringe, the rough and then the water.
Taking a drop and facing an identical putt, the second time round was a lot better for the 30-year-old, with his ball coming to rest inches from the hole. A double bogey was, in fact, a good result in the end for Cantlay, who then went on to birdie the seventh and 11th to get back to one-under for his day and the tournament, before play was suspended due to the weather.
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