“It’s the best field in golf. Period,” said Xander Schauffele for the PLAYERS Championship. Most golfers would agree and celebrate the opportunity to participate in the event. But the pride of participating comes at the cost of the high difficulty offered by the TPC Sawgrass course. The holes offer historic putts as well as some unfortunate misses.
This year, too, something similar happened at Hole 17, par-3. The Island’s green holes look majestic, surrounded by water hazards, but only precision can help in acing the challenge. For the record, the hole has a scoring average of 3.077. Also, there is only one eagle recorded in the event’s history. To change it, Justin Lower was pumped to make it a reality.
However, his first shot went far off the green and ended in the water. The golfer was having a par finish at each hole, but with his penalty, he was left with just one stroke to continue his par streak. With his second attempt, he was placed 89 yards away in the drop zone. Well, he took advantage of it and shot a perfect hit, which landed in a straight line and rolled into the cup. He is currently placed at T34, but his glorious moment has lit up the mood of the fans as it was shared on X from the official PGA Tour account.
Zero putts. One water ball. Two swings.
Three.
Take a bow (and a breath), @JustinLower_1.
@PGATOURLIVE pic.twitter.com/MUrficFPwf
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 13, 2025
The post wrote, “Zero putts. One water ball. Two swings. Three. Take a bow (and a breath), @JustinLower_1. @PGATOURLIVE.” Well, the historic shot from Fred Couples was kind of recreated by the golfer. Couples also shot his first in the water, but as a redemption, he then chose to redeem himself with a clean hole to save par. Now the fans are enjoying the feat achieved. The achievement has seen a huge wave of support and praise for the golfer.
Fans celebrate Justin Lower’s Hole-in-one
Lower, who achieved his first hole-in-one in May 2022 at the AT&T Byron Nelson Tournament, has achieved the feat yet again at the Players Championship. Now, fans have emerged to celebrate and praise the memory revival of Couples 1999, the Players slam dunk.
One of the fans wrote, “Wow – what a comeback…drive in water then come back to stick it!! Nice !! .” The golfers’ attempt to save the par is definitely acknowledged by the fans as, after the ball went into the water, it was tough to save the par. Even a close hit to the par would lead to a sub par score. But the precision and consistency helped the golfer.
Another wrote, “Par the easy way.” With pun intended, the fan praised him for his par save. The golfer has been on the move with his performance, as earlier, he was placed T3 at the American Express. A similar feat was observed in his performance as he maintained the par streak, despite getting the first in water. As per the statistics, since 2003, more than 920 balls have been placed in the water hazard category by professionals. Well, for the amateurs, the number is massive, with 120,000 balls. Saving par on one of the toughest holes isn’t an easy thing to do.
More joined in writing, “That’s a way to save par,” and “never a doubt par!” Just like Fred Couples did in 1999, the PLAYERS, the same feat, has left the fans amused with his par save hole-in-one.
Another comment read, “Such a relief.” If the golfer had missed his par streak, it would affect his qualification. But the save has helped him to stay in contention. He is currently placed at T34.
With the historic save from Justin Lower, can he continue to do that in the coming two rounds? Can this performance help him in winning his first PGA Tour win? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
The post ‘Fred Couples Approved:’ PGA Tour Pro’s Rare Feat in 26 Years at TPC Sawgrass Leaves Fans in a Frenzy appeared first on EssentiallySports.