Riaan
CNN
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“I-Island Green” – amagama amathathu ashaye ukwesaba ezinhliziyweni zalabo abanamakhono kakhulu abadlali begalofu.
Indawo emfishane, engamayadi angu-125 ezungezwe amanzi, imbobo ye-TPC Sawgrass eyisakhiwo sodumo yasemuva iminzise amaphupho amaningi kuwo. I-Players Championship iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amane.
NgoLwesine, uHayden Buckley wayeneminye imibono.
Ngemva kokuqala kancane emzuliswaneni wakhe wokuqala emcimbini omkhulu we-PGA Tour, umMelika – eqale umgodi we-10 – wahlangana ngomhlaka-17 endaweni eyodwa, eboshelwe okwesishiyagalombili.
Omunye umjiko kamuva, wayeseleveli yokuhola.
Esebenzisa i-pitching wedge, oneminyaka engu-27 ubudala wayethumele ibhola lakhe phezu kwamanzi futhi lingene kahle endaweni eluhlaza; ibhola lakhe ligxuma kathathu ngaphambi kokuthi lihlale futhi ligoqeke ngokunethezeka enkomishini.
Isixuku esichichimayo sachwaza injabulo yaso njengoba u-Buckley ejikijela isigqoko sakhe emoyeni ngokujabula ngaphambi kokuba adle i-high-five i-caddy yakhe, wabe esedlala ozakwethu u-Adam Long no-Taylor Montgomery.
Umaka kuphela i-ace ye-11 emgodini odumile emlandweni weminyaka engu-49 we-The Players Championship, kanye nowesibili emiqhudelwaneni elandelanayo ngemuva komdlali wegalofu wase-Ireland. UShane Lowry ithathe izibalo zaba ngamadijithi aphindwe kabili kushicilelo lwangonyaka odlule.
Ngemuva kweminyaka eyi-14 ngaphandle kwe-hole-in-one phakathi kuka-2002 no-2016, manje sekunama-aces amahlanu emgodini we-17 ezinhlelweni eziyisishiyagalombili zokugcina “zesihlanu esikhulu.”
KuBuckley, owafika eFlorida njengonombolo 107 womhlaba futhi ojaha isicoco sakhe sokuqala se-PGA Tour, kuphawule imbobo yesibili komunye we-PGA Tour yakhe kulandela eyokuqala kwakhe ku-Shriners Children’s Open ngo-2021 – kwaqondana, futhi umgodi we-17.
Inganekwane yaqhubeka njengoba u-Buckley egila izimanga ku-par-four eyalandela, okumenza umdlali wokuqala ku-The Players Championship ukulandelela imbobo-in-one ngomhlaka-17 nenyoni ngomhlaka-18, ngokusho kwe-PGA Tour.
Inyoni yesibili eqondile ngemuva kokujika imkhuphulele ngaphansi kwesihlanu, noma lokhu kuphawule uphawu lwamanzi oluphakeme lomzuliswano waseMelika.
Izibhamu eziwisiwe eziyisithupha – okuhlanganisa nama-double bogey emigodini yesi-6 neyesi-8 – ambone eshiya isifundo eboshelwe indawo yama-38 ngemuva kokukhipha ikhadi elingaphezu kuka-73.
