The word “carnage” is being tossed around the Players on Saturday, and for good reason with all the high scores being posted in the high winds swirling around TPC Sawgrass.
But Zach Johnson could have actually killed someone. And we should have all seen this coming.
The two-time Major champ has become a menace to fans on tee boxes because of a pre-shot routine in which he takes a practice swing dangerously close to his golf ball. ZJ infamously hit his ball by accident for the first time on the 13th tee at Augusta National (at least, there are no fans in the vicinity there) at the 2019 Masters. Then last month, he managed to do the same at the WM Phoenix Open. But the third time was the charm—at least in hitting a ball into the gallery—on the 18th hole during his first round at the Players. Have a look:
We’re guessing by the chuckling that no fans were harmed during filming of this Zach Johnson practice swing, but wow, that’s scary. “I’ll try that again!” the Johnson says before adding, “I hope that’s on camera.” Why? That could have been evidence of manslaughter!
Anyway, we’d say “Pros are just like us!” but us weekend hackers know better than to take practice swings that close to the ball. Seriously, ZJ, maybe you should start moving a few inches back. And if you’re following the Ryder Cup captain on the course, you should definitely pick him up by the green.
