John Daly has written his name into the PGA Tour Champions record books for all the wrong reasons. The two-time major winner carded a 19 on the par-5 12th hole during the first round of the Sanford International at Minnehaha Country Club, setting a new mark for the highest score on a single hole in the tour's history.
The 59-year-old American found the water an astonishing seven times on the 12th hole, surpassing the previous record of 16 shared by three players, most recently Bruce Crampton in 1996. According to shot-by-shot details, Daly's nightmare began with a tee shot into the rough, followed by seven consecutive shots that ended up in the hazard. He finally reached the green with his 17th shot and two-putted for a 19.
Daly's 19 broke his own personal worst by a single stroke; he scored an 18 on the par-5 sixth hole at the 1998 Bay Hill Invitational after hitting a 3-wood into the water six times. In that instance, he bounced back with a birdie two on the next hole. This time, he settled for a par on the 13th.
Daly was playing alongside Stephen Ames and fellow double major winner Angel Cabrera, who celebrated his 56th birthday by shooting a 64 to take the tournament lead. Daly's round was not immediately reported with full details as the PGA Tour Champions does not use a laser tracking system at the venue.
The high score marks another low point in Daly's career, which has included well-documented struggles. His highest score on the main PGA Tour was a 90 in the second round of the 2014 Valspar Championship, which featured a 12 on the 16th hole after hitting three balls in the water, a shanked 7-iron, and three chips to reach the green.
