Joe Durant experienced every golfer’s nightmare Sunday afternoon. Holding a share of the lead on the 17th hole at the Shaw Charity Classic, Durant leaned over to tap in his par putt. But the ball didn’t go in the hole.
Durant birdied the par-5 18th but would go on to lose the event by a single shot, making the miss feel that much more costly. He acknowledged the ramifications of his lapse in focus afterwards.
“I didn’t take my time and missed it, lipped it out and made bogey,” Durant told the AP about the 17th. “Just total mental meltdown. And when you do stuff like that, you don’t deserve to win a golf tournament.”
Oh no!
Durant misses a short one at 17 and falls out of a share of the lead. @ShawClassic pic.twitter.com/3IXLGWd2iW
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) September 2, 2018
Durant chimed in on Twitter as well, showing he was doing his best to take the miscue in stride. “One day I’ll learn just to tap it in,” he wrote with a crying emoji.
Thanks so much to everyone with the @ShawClassic for the amazing hospitality and atmosphere. Congrats to Scott McCarron on back to back W’s. One day I’ll learn just to tap it in!?
— Joe Durant (@joedurant06) September 3, 2018
His back nine stood in stark contrast to that of ultimate winner Scott McCarron, who made three birdies and a hole-in-one coming in. McCarron earned $352,500 for the win, while Durant’s share of second netted him $172,333.
