If he hadn’t counted the short par-4 hole 14 in Black Desert ResortPGA Tour pro Davis Thompson would have had an opening round to be proud of on Thursday at 2025 Utah Bank Championship.
But an unfilmed disaster on the 14th turned Thompson’s scorecard upside down and left golf fans scratching their heads at the strange Shot Tracker scores for the hole.
Here’s what we know happened.
Davis Thompson makes an ugly 8 at the Bank of Utah Championship
Most of Thompson’s notes for the first round looked nice. Three bogeys were offset by five birdies, putting him at two under. But that doesn’t take into account the horror show that unfolded on the 14th.
Starting his day on the back nine, Thompson made four consistent pars on holes 10-13. Next was the par-4 14th. Playing just 308 yards, most pros stand on the tee hoping for a birdie or better on what is the second easiest hole on the course.
Thompson likely thought the same, especially when his tee shot ended up just short and left of the green. But four shots later, and Thompson had barely moved his feet.
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While there is no video of the incident, the PGA Tour’s tracker gives us a good idea of ​​what happened. While the 14th is short, its green is elevated and its edges are shaved down, causing any ball hit short to roll off the front of the putting surface.
That seems to be what happened to Thompson.
Aggravating the situation on Thursday was the placement of pins on the left front edge of the green. So the pro, who won the John Deere Classic last year, was left with a tricky chip with little room to work.
According to Shot Tracker, Thompson’s second shot from 55 feet it ended just 6 meters from where it startedmost likely after rolling off the front of the green. His third shot progressed another 6 feet.
But the disaster had just begun. His fourth shot, and apparently third chip, finished 6 feet further away away from the hole. Shot no. 5 seems to have finished right on its feet, with the Shot Tracker registering just 6 inches of progress.
On his sixth shot, Thompson decided to give up his approach, sending it 26 feet past the hole. But at least he was finally deciding.
Two shots later, he carded an 8 for four.
A description of the Tour Cast video posted on X.com by @TheModelManiac details Thompson’s struggles at 14.
While the snowman was devastating to Thompson’s scorecard, he rallied on his back nine, making four straight birdies to close with a two-over 73.
