The Background
There’s a reason Kevin Na looks so dejected as he leaves the scorer’s hut.
April 14, 2011, a day the American will spend the rest of his life cursing.
Na was one under par walking to the ninth tee during round one of the Texas Open but what happened next had never before been seen on the PGA Tour – and hasn’t happened since…
The Scene
Na’s original tee shot went right and into some thick woodland. He found his ball but took an unplayable lie and returned to the tee box. He then hit his ball back into the the same area.
This time, he tried to play out of the trees. His first attempt hit a branch then hit him. Instant one shot penalty.
It then took him seven more shots just to get out of the trees, finding the second cut.
Na then landed one on the fringe before two putting to card a 16 – the worst score on a par 4 in PGA Tour history.
The Legacy
Not that there is much of a legacy but the video of Na hacking out the trees will surely have put a smile on the average club golfer’s face and is a fantastic sight during this time of year when you’re feeling down about your golfing ability.
The 16 that Na carded may have had long lasting affects on him as he seemed to develop a case of the yips soon after the event.
It is probably also worth reminding that Kevin Na can say he holds a record on the PGA Tour, even though it is a poor one at that.
For what it’s worth, this isn’t the highest score ever recorded on a single hole. Tommy Armour holds that title with a 23 at the 1927 Shawnee Open.