Following successful performances at the recently concluded British Open, the PGA Tour descended upon the TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota on Thursday for the 3M Open. The four-day tournament promises much excitement to fans, especially with players like Justin Thomas, Tony Finau, Hideki Matsuyama, and more thrown into the mix.
The opening round of the event boasted several memorable moments, but the highlight of the day came when a 27-year-old made an unbelievable shot, and that too with a broken club. Let’s jump in to find out more!
PGA Tour pro accidentally breaks his 9-iron but still makes a stunning birdie
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PGA Tour’s Nick Hardy was 5-under through 17 holes at the ongoing 3M Open when he found himself in a precarious spot at No. 18. On the 500-yard, par-4 ninth, his 18th hole of the day, Hardy ended up making a shot that found the righthand rough.
The ball then came to a standstill behind a tree, leaving the Zurich Classic winner with an almost inconceivable shot into the green. But Hardy managed to overcome the challenge—and how!
Last hole of the day so Nick Hardy sacrifices his club into a tree and hits an absolutely insane shot to give himself a look at birdie.pic.twitter.com/xXB9eBuUfR
— Betsperts Golf (@BetspertsGolf) July 27, 2023
Given that it was his last hole of the day, the golfer decided to get a bit creative with his shot. Ultimately opting to ignore the obstacle, Hardy took a full swing at the ball, which then finished 11 feet from the hole.
The not-so-good part? The Illinois native ended up breaking his 9-iron when it smacked the tree he was standing behind. But Hardy won’t be thinking much of it, as he finished round one with a score of 6-under 65. He is currently two shots behind solo leader Lee Hodges.
American Lee Hodges grabs a one-shot lead at the 2023 3M Open
Amidst the sweltering conditions in Blaine, Minnesota, Lee Hodges carded eight birdies to post an impressive 8-under 63. The 28-year-old sits one shot above a group of four players tied for second place at 7-under 64. The quartet also includes 2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama, who made seven birdies without a bogey.
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Golfers Justin Suh, Nick Hardy, and Emiliano Grillo are currently tied at 6-under. One shot behind them is defending champion and World No. 19 Tony Finau, who posted a 5-under 66.
Former World No. 1 Justin Thomas, who is going through an unprecedented slump at the moment, finished his first round with a 2-under 69. Thomas, who has missed 4 cuts in his last 6 appearances, is vying to avoid missing the impending FedEx Cup playoffs as well as book a US Ryder Cup berth.
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What do you think of Nick Hardy’s unbelievable shot? Which golfer do you think will emerge victorious at the 3M Open? Tell us in the comments!