Gordon Sargent thought he had sunk a putt on Sunday when the ball popped right back out of the hole.
The 20-year-old’s par attempt on the 18th hole in the final round of the US Open looked as though it was headed squarely for the centre of the cup when it shockingly bounced out and right back onto the green, provoking bewildered and angry reactions from players and commentators.
Luke Donald, former World No. 1 and current Ryder Cup champion, asked if there was any way the issue with the hole could be resolved immediately.
“This is unacceptable! Does the @USGA go fix this mid round? This should never happen,” Donald tweeted.
Trevor Immelman, a broadcast analyst and former Masters winner, also questioned the incident, asking if the cup was simply not deep enough on the 18th hole.
Pro golfer Hunter Mahan was similarly stunned, tweeting, “WTF just happened to Sargent????? How could that happen?!”
The USGA said the issue had to do with the previous player or caddie altering the hole liner, with Ryan Gerard and Mackenzie Hughes having played before him.
When removing the flagstick, the group may have dislodged the hole liner, which the USGA did not have a chance to adjust before Sargent’s putt.
Sargent, a sophomore at Vanderbilt and the 2022 NCAA champion, finished the tournament at 4-over to earn low amateur honours.
“I had like a two-and-a-half footer straight up the hill that hit the back of the hole and just bounced right back to me,” Sargent told reporters.
“Haven’t seen that happen in a while, but that’s how it goes sometimes.”
Despite the odd putt, he said the tournament was a big one for his growth as a golfer.
“It’s kind of what your goal as an amateur is, just to be the low-am,’’ Sargent said.
“Playing in my second major, I wasn’t as nervous as the first one [the Masters]. It just gives you confidence and also kind of shows what you need to work on. I know that my good golf, I can compete with the best and just need to limit the mistakes a little bit.’’
This article was originally published by the New York Post and reproduced with permission