Tour pro makes painful 13 after perfect drive

Standing on the ninth tee of Muirfield Village, Chad Ramey was not having a good day.

After starting on the tenth, Ramey, who has a PGA Tour title to his name, was playing his final hole of his first round at the Memorial Tournament and was already seven-over-par.

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On a day where some of the world’s best struggled, that in itself wasn’t a massive shock, but what followed turned a disappointing day into one he’s not likely to forget in a hurry.

A perfect drive left the world No.190 106 yards into the flag. A decent chance at making a birdie to finish, however, turned into a nightmare.

His second shot found the water in front of the green, coming up just short of dry land.

He took a drop, leaving himself 49 yards to the hole, but his next shot would only travel 36 yards.

Another reload followed and so did another water ball.

And again. And again.

Mercifully, Ramey’s tenth shot and fifth ball of the hole found the putting surface, leaving himself just over 30 feet for an 11. That didn’t drop, and neither did the attempt for 12 and poor Chad was left with a 13.

The PGA Tour’s play-by-play graphic makes for grim viewing.

All in all, Ramey’s round added up to an 88, leaving him 16-over-par for the tournament. Unsurprisingly, the 30-year-old didn’t speak to the press after his round, but we can only imagine he’ll have the all too familiar feeling us golfers have all experienced when a round goes from bad to worse.

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Ironically enough, Ramey’s playing partners played the hole with very little incident. Joel Dahmen rolled in a 24-foot birdie putt, while Mackenzie Hughes finished his day with a stress-free par.

Muirfield Village’s ninth hole played over par on Thursday, with only 19 players making a birdie. Couple that with seven doubles (or worse), and it’s clear this was no walk in the park.

Ramey will likely be dreading playing this hole on Friday, but if the Golf Gods have any sense of humour, he’ll walk off with a birdie three.

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor