When Gordon Sargent went to tap in his par putt at the 18th hole on today, low amateur honours weren’t in doubt. The long-hitting Vanderbilt University sophomore led the next-best amateur, Ben Carr, by 10 shots.
That doesn’t make what happened next any less insane.
RELATED: The simple and ugly truth of why this US Open is so damn quiet
First, in case you didn’t see it, watch what happened for yourself:
This happened to Gordon Sargent on 18. Imagine if it happened later today on a putt to win the U.S. Open.pic.twitter.com/NefFUXedIK
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) June 18, 2023
That’s not a lip-out, that’s a literal bounce-out. Of the inexplicable variety. How, on earth, can this happen in a major championship? Sorcery is the only possible answer.
RELATED:Â Matt Fitzpatrick criticises LACC and USGA for ‘very poor’ atmosphere
Turns out, there was a legitimate explanation, and all we can say is thank goodness this didn’t happen much later in the day, or have serious ramifications, like Sargent losing out on the low amateur honour. Per a USGA spokesperson, someone in the group ahead of Sargent’s group pulled out the flag in a way that damaged the cup. As ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti reported, the issues was quickly resolved:
USGA spokesperson says the group before Sargent pulled out the flag in a way that slightly damaged the cup, which has now been fixed https://t.co/Xerz8yYPQ3
— Paolo Uggetti (@PaoloUggetti) June 18, 2023
Not to point fingers, but it’s fair to assume it was one of the caddies in the group ahead, as they are usually the only ones removing and putting flagsticks back in their place. Got to be careful, boys, this is the US Open!
