On the par-4 sixth hole at PGA National, Detry found himself in a promising position. He had reached the green in regulation, setting up a birdie opportunity. The hole was 461 yards long, and the Belgian golfer had a chance to make a positive move on the leaderboard.
From 51 feet away, Detry’s birdie attempt wasn’t terrible. The ball rolled about six feet past the cup, leaving him with a manageable par putt. But then, disaster struck. The ensuing sequence of events unfolded like a tragicomedy:
Putt 1: Par attempt missed.
Putt 2: Comebacker for bogey missed.
Putt 3: Another miss.
Putt 4: Yet another miss.
Putt 5: And again.
Putt 6: Finally, he tapped it in.
Yes, you read that correctly. Six putts on a single hole. Five of those putts were from a mere six feet away. It’s a scenario that even the most seasoned golfers rarely encounter. The dreaded quadruple-bogey on the scorecard was a rare sight indeed.
Detry’s woes didn’t end there. Aside from the 6-putt disaster, his front nine included four other bogeys. As he made the turn, he found himself at a daunting eight-over-par 43. Among the 144-man field, he languished in dead last place.
Even legends have their off days. Ernie Els once suffered a six-putt at the Masters, and Tiger Woods recently hit a shank. So, Thomas Detry, shake it off. Golf is a fickle game, and sometimes the greens play tricks on us.
Detry’s 6-putt saga serves as a reminder that the short game matters. Perhaps he’ll spend some extra time on the practice green before his next start. As for the rest of us, it’s a story we won’t soon forget—six putts on the PGA Tour, a rarity indeed.