There are plenty of difficulties that come along with playing in the same group as Tiger Woods. Increased scrutiny. Moving, noisy spectators. Media everywhere. But there are occasionally benefits, too. Marc Leishman discovered one such positive side effect at the Dell Technologies Championship on Friday, when he shanked his approach shot off a spectator and onto the green.
Leishman’s tee shot on the par-4 6th hole found a snarl of rough at the edge of a fairway bunker. It was a difficult lie, and Leishman — though we’re reluctant to use the word — shanked his iron shot, sending it careening toward the out-of-bounds stakes on the right side of the hole. “Fore!” Leishman yelled.
But instead of continuing to parts unknown, the ball struck a spectator in the leg and redirected onto the fairway, back toward the hole and all the way onto the green.
Leishman with the luckiest bounce ever. Hit his approach way right but Mark from Worcester literally helped for a good kick. It hit his foot and bounced onto the green. That deserves a gift pic.twitter.com/JxNYqx3nyz
— Chantel McCabe (@ChantelMcCabeGC) August 31, 2018
It got even better from there. Leishman handed Mark from Worcester a signed glove and, according to announcers, some cash. He then proceeded to slam the 57-footer off the back of the cup and in for one of the least likely birdies you’ll ever see.
UNBELIEVABLE!@MarcLeish nearly goes OB, ends up on the green and makes the 56-foot birdie!#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/lzHHSw8cht
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 31, 2018
Leishman plucked the ball out of the hole, turned and tossed it back up the fairway toward the fan, grinning wide. Though he began his round with a double bogey, Leishman kept a clean card the rest of the way and finished with a three-under 68 that had him just one shot off the lead.
