Norton, Mass. -- We’re betting Charl Schwartzel shares similar opinions to those Luke Donald expressed -- and later apologized for -- about the redesigned 18th hole at TPC Boston.
Charl Schwartzel, Luke Donald Struggle On No. 18 At TPC Boston
Charl Schwartzel makes us all feel way better about our golf games after his implosion on No. 18 at TPC Boston.
After a bogey on 18 on Saturday, Donald tweeted about his dislike for architect Gil Hanse’s re-imagined putting surface, noting with a virtual smirk, “Nothing quite like hitting my best shot of the day into the last and walking off with a bogie [sic], what a terribly re-designed green.” The hashtag “#sourtaste” added just a tad more texture to Donald’s critique, and then he mistakenly sent a direct message not meant for his 300,000 followers that took a pot shot directly at Hanse and for which Donald quickly made amends after deleting it.
“I made a mistake,” Donald said after carding a 1-under 70 on Sunday. “I made a mistake, unfortunately, I made an error.
“I sent a message that was not meant to go out on Twitter, and I take full responsibility. I realized it immediately, tried to delete it and tried to move on. Unfortunately it got caught up there, and such is life,” Donald continued. “I didn’t mean to put it out there, and I apologize to anyone I offended, especially Gil Hanse.”
Donald also erroneously sent out his cell number, which was ringing off the cyber hook, causing him to shut it off and, likely, have to shop around for a new number. “That’s what I deserve,” he said.
While Donald said he may take a break from tweeting for a while and would apologize directly to Hanse should he see him around the track this weekend, he did not back off his observations about the reconstructed 18th green.
“I’m still not that keen on it,” he said. “I think the Tour have done a great job in terms of making this course a lot better. I just think some of the design in that hole is a little severe. Obviously I was pretty heated, and certainly by the time that message went out, I had calmed down a lot, but it certainly wasn’t meant to be public.”
But back to Schwartzel, who fired a lovely 66 on Saturday to put himself into contention, only to go out on Sunday and post a stinker that included three double-bogeys on the way to an 8-over 79.
The crowning blow, however, came on the 18th hole, where the 2011 Masters champ had a two-foot putt for birdie and -- after missing that, his par putt, and another short bogey putt -- walked off the course with a double-bogey seven that had golf watchers shaking their heads and muttering, “been there, done that.”
Only not, probably, on the PGA Tour, on national TV.
For news and updates throughout the holiday weekend at TPC Boston, stay with this StoryStream. For all your FedEx Cup and Ryder Cup news, visit SB Nation’s golf hub.
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