Getty Image / Kevin C. Cox
Hitting the flagstick in golf is always exciting because it simply doesn’t happen that often. There’s also that great sound it makes that always ups the heart-rate, but more often than not, hitting the flagstick does more harm than good.
Just ask Patrick Cantlay, who had just a flip-wedge from off the 15th green at the U.S. Open on Saturday afternoon. He elected to fly the ball all the way to the hole, obviously hitting it a bit too firm, and his ball hit high on the flagstick and came right back at him. Golf is a cruel son of a bitch sometimes.
That was cruel. 😱@patrick_cantlay rattles it off the flagstick at the 15th. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/565eWvbYd9
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) September 19, 2020
It is pretty impressive just how fast the ball came back at Cantlay off the stick. He clearly hit it on the flag’s sweet spot and paid for it. It’s truly one of the worse breaks you’ll ever see from hitting the flag from only about 20 yards.
Personally, I’ve done this numerous times, but I’ve certainly never done it on the U.S. Open stage.
Cantlay ended up making a bogey on the 15th en route to a 6-over 76 on Saturday. Currently, he sits in a tie for 54th at Winged Foot.
Related: Zach Johnson Drains Insane Boomerang Putt At U.S. Open