Golf Legend Defies Expectations in Spectacular Performance
The rough is gnarly at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday, as Joe Highsmith learned the hard way.
So far this week, TPC Sawgrass has yet to bare its teeth ( unless your name is Tom Hoge ). Both Ludvig Aberg and Xander Schauffele sit double digits under par as the weekend begins, but if Saturday’s early returns are any indication, the benign conditions are beginning to turn. But don’t take our word for it, just ask Joe Highsmith, who produced this all-time “one of us” moment during his third round on Saturday morning.
Viewer discretion is advised. RELATED: Si Woo Kim rips cigarette during huge backup on 7 tee at TPC Sawgrass Oof, brutal stuff. With the wet weather earlier in the week, the rough at TPC Sawgrass has thickened considerably and the grounds crew doesn't seem to have given it much a of shave overnight.
Add to that a forecast calling for increased winds as the afternoon progresses, and you have a recipe for a particularly nasty Moving Day. In other words, Highsmith won’t be the last player we see humbled by the conditions as the day wears on. That will be little consolation for the 2025 Cognizant Classic winner, however, who looked more than a little sheepish after scuffing his approach on the par-4 5th hole a grand total of five yards.
The broadcast didn’t help either, saying “you can feel the eyes on you right now” and “the local 18-handicappers hit one better than that out of the rough. ” The good news is that Highsmith nearly jarred his third and then sunk the 15-foot comebacker for an unlikely par. Let’s see your average 18-handicapper do that.