Ridiculed for Shooting a 13 on One Hole at PGA Tour Event, Golfer Sends Strong Message to His Trolls

During the second round of the American Express 2025 Open, William Mouw was 6 under par heading to the 16th hole at the Pete Dye Stadium Course. He was scheduled to make the cut at only his 2nd PGA Tour event but what happened next was the stuff of nightmares. The youngster, dealing with an unforgiving green, was hitting the bunker on either side time and again with his strokes. He finally did manage to find the hole but needed 13 strokes for the same.

The octuple bogey quickly became viral, with fans expressing their surprise and ridicule at the incident.” Poor William Mouw’s 13 looks like a detective board trying to crack a conspiracy”, one fan exclaimed. Another fan was hilarious and brutal in his assessment, “Art. Not for William Mouw, but art.”

But Mouw’s attitude is something amazing. His words while reflecting on the situation depict the level of respect and dedication he has towards the craft.

Reflections from the American Express Open incident for William Mouw

Not every day is going to go your way. William Mouw knows that. The hole was a tricky one that has flummoxed golfers before and it just was not his day then. “People know that bunker. I’m definitely not the first to get captured by that bunker and make a big number, and certainly won’t be the last. It’s something that when it’s happening, you just have to laugh at it and accept it and move on.” The 24-year-old stated while recollecting the events.

“Golf is a lot like life, man. There is adversity and me as a player, as a student of the game, and as a person of life, it is not about dwelling on adversity and how can you turn your adversity into positivity.” Wise words that are seemingly coming from a veteran right? Mature words coming from the 24-year-old.

Despite a difficult outing at the hole as well at the tournament, William Mouw earned a lot of praise for his attitude and approach during adversity. “No club throws, body language remained the same on every shot, didn’t give up and stayed focused to 2 putt from 60+ feet. Shoutout @williammouw for setting a positive example for the kids.” A fan had commented. It means a lot to be able to showcase a positive mindset for Mouw. ”Kids are looking up to you. People are looking up to you. I have a platform out here and to use it and set an example for kids.” The 24-year-old is happy that he has been able to make a positive influence from a negative situation.

The positive attitude and approach are some things that have been engraved in the young rookie’s mind. “I wear a bracelet on my wrist that says ‘Never ever give up.’ I fight through adversity. I turn it to a positive and make the most of it. And I’m glad people are seeing that.”  Mouw stated.

The Open did not end on day 2 for Willaim Mouw as he had a faint chance to make his first cut since finishing T13 at the 2022 John Deere Classic. And the fact of the matter is that Mouw showcased his mental strength during the very next day. He shot a brilliant 5 under par to finish the tournament with an even score.

If it were not for the octuple bogey, Mouw could very well have made the cut. But he was not the only one who was trapped by the 18-foot bunker at the Pete Dye Stadium Course.

The 16th hole tests the best

As mentioned before, the 18-foot bunker of the 16th hole has managed to trap even the best of golfers over the years. For instance, the legend, Arnold Palmer nearly played 4 shots from the 18-foot bunker in an attempt to reach the green. He was severely frustrated by the bunker during the 1996 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

In 1995, Bob Murphy was aiming for the green in a bid to score below par. But the ball rolled off into the bunker and left the Brooklyn native frustrated. What was even more irritating was his chance at the trophy was gone as he was not able to get out of the bunker quickly enough.

Martin Laird is the most recent victim of the bunker. He found himself in a similar situation to Mouw in the 2019 Desert Classic. He found the bunker with his second stroke and took him four more further strokes before finding the hole. He was also in line to score above the cutline but missed out because of the bunker and its vicious trap.

Thus, for Mouw, if it weren’t for the octuple bogey, the youngster could have easily made the cut and posed a stern challenge for the top places. What do you think?