Aaron Wise Pumps Three Straight Balls Into Water at Players Championship

Aaron Wise’s name will go down in TPC Sawgrass history after the completion of Round 1 at the Players Championship—but not for the reason he’d like. 

The 26-year-old was just 2 over par for the tournament when he stepped up to the 18th tee box. Lined with a large water hazard on the left side of the fairway, the final hole at TPC Sawgrass’s Stadium Course is known for demanding one of the most precise drives on the property. On Thursday, Wise demonstrated the hole’s challenges just a little bit too perfectly.

Wise hit not one, not two, but three balls in the water off of the tee, meaning he hit his seventh shot on the hole from the tee box as well. 

When asked if the infamous tee shot is uncomfortable for him, Wise responded confidently: “No, I love the tee shot. I just made a couple bad swings.”

After his first three attempts found the hazard on the left, Wise sprayed his fourth tee shot to the right of the fairway into the pine straw. The American was forced to pitch out from that position, and he left himself with 69 yards into the green. From there, Wise got up and down for a 10—a sextuple bogey. 

The painful double-digit score is the the second-highest score ever on the 18th hole. Plus, Wise walked away from the first round of the Players with an 80 on his card. He’s currently tied for 141st place, ahead of just one player: Lucas Herbert. 

The sequence might have been painful to watch, but at least Wise is relatable.