Today’s golf equipment incorporates the best of modern technology to help players—from tour pros to average Joes—hit the ball longer and straighter on every swing. (For more information, we recommend reading Golf Digest’s annual Hot List.)
Just how well does this equipment perform? Well take a look at what Tyler Duncan was able to pull off on Friday morning during the second round of the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Championship.
MORE: Was this Rory McIlroy’s best driver … ever?!?
Standing the 15th tee at Puntacana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic, Duncan was six under on the day and just two shots out of the lead, hoping to stay aggressive as he made his way to the clubhouse. And then this happened:
Exactly what caused the clubhead to snap from the shaft is unclear. It wouldn’t seem to be caused by a “hosel rocket” however considering the ball traveled straight and true, landing in the center of the fairway and leaving Duncan a short iron into the green.
You can see Duncan was thrown by what happened with his initial reaction to the clubhead flying itself a good 30 yards.
Impressively, Duncan didn’t let the mishap rattle him, though, as he then hit his approach to roughly 10 feet. He then rolled in the putt for birdie.
It’s unclear whether Duncan putt a new driver into his bag for the last three holes, which he parred to card a seven-under 65. Under the Rules of Golf, Duncan is entitled to replace his driver with a new club because the club was broken by an outside influence or natural forces (Rule 4.1).