There is no question that PGA Tour veteran Stephan Jaeger is an elite golfer. But in one moment on Thursday at the Sanderson Farms Championship, Jaeger looked more like your 20-handicap friend at a local muni.
That’s thanks to a mishit with his driver during Round 1 so bad that the TV broadcast called it “shocking.”
Stephan Jaeger hits 104-yard top at Sanderson Farms Championship
When he arrived at the par-4 17th hole in Thursday’s opening round, Jaeger had a sparkling bogey-free scorecard and a four-under score to show for it. The early lead at the Sanderson Farms Championship was in sight.
But then something happened that’s familiar to all recreational golfers but is wholly unfamiliar to Tour pros, especially Tour winners.
Jaeger lined up his tee shot, drew back his driver and unleashed his swing. But instead of making clean contact, the bottom of his driver smacked the top of the ball.
As the video review shows, Jaeger’s ball first hit the ground just after impact, then sailed forward just above the grass, eventually coming to rest 104 yards from the tee box.
It also appeared to come up short of at least one set of member tees at the Country Club of Jackson.
Check it out below.
Just after impact, either Jaeger, his playing partner or caddie can be heard saying, “You ever seen anything like that?”
“He’s topped it,” one TV analyst remarked. “Completely topped it.”
“He’s swinging this club at around 120 mph and just catches the top of that ball … shocking,” his partner in the booth replied.
Jaeger rockets up the leaderboard after embarrassing miss
Unfortunately for Jaeger, the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open winner, his top led to a bogey at 17, dropping his final score for the opening round to three under.
Still, that left him just four shots off the lead heading into Round 2, with one eye on his second-career victory. And in Friday’s round, Jaeger showed zero signs that the top had impacted him negatively.
Starting on the back nine, he made three birdies over his first five holes. At the site of his embarrassing shot from Thursday, the par-4 17th, he laced a 297-yard drive to the right fairway, ending with a par.
He sat three shots off the lead with several holes left to play in his second round.