The Phoenix Open makes even the best golfers look foolish

Gary Woodland may have made golf look pretty easy, ending his five-year victory drought with a come-from-behind effort to earn his third PGA Tour title Sunday in overtime at TPC Scottsdale.

But a few top golfers might care to disagree.

Woodland fired a 7-under 64 to overcome a three-shot deficit to Rickie Fowler at the start of Sunday’s Waste Management Phoenix Open finale and beat Chez Reavie with a par on the first extra frame. He got into the sudden-death playoff on the strength of a front-nine 30 that featured five birdies and added two more, plus two bogeys on the back side:

By the time Woodland’s final putt dropped, reigning tour Player of the Year Justin Thomas and a reinvigorated Ian Poulter had long since vacated the premises, each this week’s potential “golf is hard” poster boy.

Poulter, who entered the week ranked 57th in the world after hitting a low of 207th after last year’s Honda Classic, had his “uh-oh” moment during Friday’s second round of the event you may know as the Wasted Open. And the horror show unfolded on the one hole in golf where those in the gallery are totally baked and all too happy to jump on any player who displeases them.

To his credit, Poulter saw the humor in the tee shot he shanked into the grandstands on the par-3 16th.

“It’s not my first shank, and it won’t be my last shank,” Poulter told GolfChannel.com after his less-than-excellent adventure at the zoo that involved a spectator tossing the ball back onto the field of play. “That’s it. I laugh at it. It’s pretty funny.”

Then there was Thomas, who followed a 68-68 start with six straight birdies to begin Saturday’s third round and move from four shots back of the lead to a two-shot advantage. But, OMG, the back nine!

After making the turn in 5-under 35 and going 1-over in his first five holes on the back, including a bogey on No. 14, Thomas rinsed his drive on the par-5 15th and ended up with a triple-bogey eight. Then came the disaster at 16, where — well, watch and cringe as he missed a tap-in, posted a double, and fell completely out of contention.

“It just sucks to play so well and have a really, really good chance to win this tournament and then to give it away in two holes, really,” Thomas said to GolfChannel.com. “I’m just really, really upset right now. It just, it sucks. Luckily it wasn’t on Sunday and I have another day to try to have another good round.”

At least Poulter, who tied for 57th at 2-under, and Thomas, who finished strong with an eagle and a birdie to close out at 11-under, were around for the weekend, as was Ollie Schniederjans. The 24-year-old second-year tour pro drove the green on the par-4 17th in Thursday’s opening round and then watched in disbelief as his 74-foot putt for eagle blew past the hole, ran off the green, and rolled into the water:

At least Schniederjans, who tied for third at 15-under, can find some comfort in the knowledge that even a birdie on the hole would have eventually left him one shot out of the playoff.

One guy not around for the festivities on Saturday and Sunday was JT’s pal, Jordan Spieth, because owning three major titles does not disqualify anyone from being hounded and heckled by the drunk and disorderly at the WMPO. A “fan” who shouted, “tater tots!” during a Spieth downswing on the last hole of his opening round (and was kicked off the property after the incident) did not cause his MC, but it certainly didn’t help.

“That girl just yelled right in Jordan’s downswing,” Thomas told reporters afterward. “I had no idea where he hit it because I was so upset that that even happened.

“It doesn’t matter who it is, whether it’s me or Jordan or anybody else in the field. I mean, there’s just no place for that. You saw it with Tiger last week. I get it, late in the day, at a place like Phoenix, I’m sure they’re a couple in, but it’s still not appropriate and I hate that it could affect someone’s score because of that.”

Affect it, it did, as the badgering continued on Friday as Spieth was fighting to make it to the third round. Golfweek reported that as Spieth took his putter back, a male onlooker yelled, “I have 100 bucks on you, Jordan!”

Spieth, who went 72-70, missed the putt and the cut by one measly shot, proving that golf is difficult enough without those outside the ropes making it even harder.