When Bailey Shoemaker was seen on video taking well over a minute to hit a tee shot at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur the response was inevitable.
The slow play klaxon was sounded and the pile-on began on social media, with the clip having around 2m views in less than 24 hours – but as is usually the case there’s more to the story that meets the eye.
The seven waggles and aborted backswings were a clear sign that this was not a labored pre-shot routine but more of a mental battle after a tough injury.
As Shoemaker told Golf Digest before the ANWA that she had suffered severe pain, numbness and even her fingers coming off the club when playing with her injury.
“Once I’d get to the top of my swing, I’d get a shooting pain down my arm, and then in my ring and pinkie finger they’d come up off my club,” Shoemaker told Golf Digest.
“I lost motor control of them. I didn’t have any function over them, which was scary. It was bleeding into my sleep and just sitting, which was kind of tough. Very scary for a while.”
“This is part of her routine” I would have already been on the green waiting before she pulled the trigger. pic.twitter.com/U7txlQZQRPApril 1, 2026
And while physically she can swing the club pain free again, Shoemaker told Golf Channel that mentally it remains a battle to get through.
“Just trying to reassure myself that there isn’t pain anymore,” Shoemaker told Golf Channel. “I’ve been struggling with it for the last four months, just being fully committed to hitting the ball.”
The network’s Brentley Romine reported that Shoemaker had seen her viral social media moment and was “audibly dejected” when he contacted her afterwards.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
And the sad fact is that at least in some social media areas the USC junior will be known for this extended tee shot and all the negative comments that followed.
When Shoemaker is a talented player – who actually holds the ANWA record at Augusta National as she shot 66 when finishing second…
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