Kevin Na set a PGA Tour record for the highest score on a par-four hole when he needed 16 shots to finish the ninth hole at the Texas Open on Thursday. Na's nightmare is the highest score on a par-four since PGA Tour records for scorecards began in 1983.
The South-Korean born American's horrible hole is tied as the second highest on any single hole since 1983 - behind John Daly's 18 on a par-five at Bay Hill in 1998. South Korea-born American Na sent his tee shot on the ninth into the woods, found the ball and declared an unplayable lie and returned to the tee. Na, ranked 64th in the world, then hit deep right into the woods again, played a provisional shot left but went to the second shot on the right to play it from the woods.
That shot, his fourth, hit a tree and the ball ricocheted onto his pant leg, costing him a two shot penalty. Na hit six shots in the woods, trying to get out of the trees, before he finally found the rough and played from there to the fringe of the green. The 27-year-old ended his nightmare with a putt from just under six feet to make 15. Na, who was one under par before the ninth, regained his composure impressively to record three birdies on a flawless back nine to finish with an eight over-par 80, leaving him 13 strokes back of the lead. Among the scores from before 1983, according to the PGA Tour's website, Tommy Armour hit the worst single-hole score when he shot a 23 during the 1927 Shawnee Open. Ray Ainsely made the same score during the 1938 US Open.