Beau Hossler has a slice of history to his name at TPC Sawgrass, but probably not one he would have wanted as he dumped the 1000th ball into the water on the famous 17th in the ShotLink era.
Ball tracking by ShotLink began back in 2003, and in the two decades since, 999 golf balls had found the water that surrounds the dangerous par-three 17th at The Players Championship.
The landmark was always going to come this week, but it was Hossler who grabbed the unwanted record as he heard that dreaded splash with his attempt during his second round on Friday.
Unsurprisingly, those 1000 balls are the most on any hole on the PGA Tour in the time span since these things started being recorded in 2003.
It just goes to show how difficult the short hole has become, and how all the headlines it gets are in fact justified given that more golf balls meet a watery grave here than any other hole on the PGA Tour.
Hossler certainly didn’t have the look of a man who had just made history as his aggressive tee shot at the back pin placement just had too much juice on it.
Beau Hossler’s tee shot found the water on No. 17. It was the 1000th water ball at the Island Green @THEPLAYERS on record. pic.twitter.com/l1JDcUGY1rMarch 15, 2024
The ball sailed into the air and landed just beyond the flag, but coming in that hot it took just one bounce and hopped off the back of the green and into the water.
Hossler did manage to salvage something from the situation, as his effort from the drop zone found the green and he holed out from 22 feet to drop just one shot.
It was a second bogey of the day for Hossler which also saw him slip just outside of the cut line.
Although Hossler hit the 1000th ball into the water on 17, it most certainly won’t be the last and the number will be much higher by the time the trophy is lifted on Sunday.
A bogey save from 22 feet.Not bad, @BeauHossler. pic.twitter.com/AA4sCr52loMarch 15, 2024
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