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Every once in a while, those of us who watch pro golf regularly will see something that makes us say, "These guys are so good." Hideki Matsuyama provided one of those moments Thursday at the 2026 Open Championship.
Matsuyama hit his second shot on the par-5 17th into a pot bunker to the left side of the green, his ball nestling up to the wall of the bunker, leaving him no stance — literally. He couldn't make contact with his ball standing up. The everyman golfer would have thrown his hands in the air and taken an unplayable lie, but you don't become a Masters champion and 11-time PGA Tour winner by doing stuff like that.
So Matusyama got creative, and boy, was it impressive:
Matsuayama sat down on the ground with his left leg curled underneath him and his right leg kicked out to the side, crouching down to where his club could reach the ball. One big hack from this awkward position and he found himself with a nine-foot look for birdie. He missed that, unfortunately, but still tapped in for par to reward his efforts.
Ultimately, it didn't end up being a particularly successful outing for Matsuyama despite the magic from the pot bunker at No. 17. He made three bogeys and 14 pars before finally pouring in his lone birdie of the day at the 18th to post 2-over 72. When he signed his scorecard, he was in a tie for 83rd.
Nick Stavas is a digital producer and commerce writer for Golfweek. Follow him on X/Twitter (@nickstavas).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Watch: Hideki Matsuyama takes a seat to hit incredible shot from bunker at The Open
Continue reading...
Matsuyama hit his second shot on the par-5 17th into a pot bunker to the left side of the green, his ball nestling up to the wall of the bunker, leaving him no stance — literally. He couldn't make contact with his ball standing up. The everyman golfer would have thrown his hands in the air and taken an unplayable lie, but you don't become a Masters champion and 11-time PGA Tour winner by doing stuff like that.
So Matusyama got creative, and boy, was it impressive:
Matsuayama sat down on the ground with his left leg curled underneath him and his right leg kicked out to the side, crouching down to where his club could reach the ball. One big hack from this awkward position and he found himself with a nine-foot look for birdie. He missed that, unfortunately, but still tapped in for par to reward his efforts.
Ultimately, it didn't end up being a particularly successful outing for Matsuyama despite the magic from the pot bunker at No. 17. He made three bogeys and 14 pars before finally pouring in his lone birdie of the day at the 18th to post 2-over 72. When he signed his scorecard, he was in a tie for 83rd.
Nick Stavas is a digital producer and commerce writer for Golfweek. Follow him on X/Twitter (@nickstavas).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Watch: Hideki Matsuyama takes a seat to hit incredible shot from bunker at The Open
Continue reading...
