Pro overhead-tosses club into the woods. Then it got a little awkward

What’s not to like about the video of Emiliano Grillo making the rounds?

For 10 seconds, you’re overwhelmed. We’ll start in chronological order. 

— There was the swing. Grillo is one of the best movers of irons — over three seasons, from 2018-19 to 2020-21, Grillo finished third, 13th and 12th in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green — and from the naked eye, everything looked right on his tee shot on Friday on the 146-yard, par-3 13th at the Country Club of Jackson. 

— There was the error. After what seemed like good impact during the Sanderson Farms Championship second round, Grillo was frustrated. Maybe this is what makes him great. Good wasn’t enough.  

— There was the one-second-after-impact, two-hand, from-behind-the-head club toss. You may enjoy this in two ways. On one hand, who doesn’t treasure a good heave from a pro? They come down to our level, at least for a sec. We don’t condone bad behavior, but we’re all human. 

Then there was the throw itself. Efficient. After briefly holding his follow-through, Grillo moved his iron a bit farther behind his head, then flicked it toward the trees on the left. Only after the club had left his hands did he look. The iron went a good 15 feet in the air. 

— There was the caddie. In the video, Javier Erviiti just watched the ball. 

— There was the broadcast. As Grillo’s club sailed, viewers were switched to the ball. Both were flying. The ball dropped after three seconds. 

— There was where it landed. After a few bounces, Grillo’s ball finished 11 feet from the hole. Wait, what? A club toss, after that? 

— There were the comments. After @lincolnduff tweeted out the clip, popular golf site No Laying Up retweeted it, and away it went with folks. 

A sampling:

“Wanted to hit a 5yd cut. Instead it went straight. I feel his pain…” wrote @klusterphluff.   

“When ya hit it a half groove off.. one has to show displeasure in the performance…..I get it!” wrote @golfsub70. 

“Sick,” wrote @lincolnduff, the sender of the video. 

Indeed. 

In the end, Grillo parred the hole, shot a five-under 67, and he started Saturday’s third round four shots out of the lead.