The Gamers Championship sprung into life on Wednesday – earlier than the event even began.
That is as a result of a caddie did one thing each golfer desires of.
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On the eve of the PGA Tour’s flagship occasion, it has turn out to be custom for caddies to play closest-to-the-pin at TPC Sawgrass’ iconic seventeenth gap.
And for the primary time in historical past, on the twenty sixth iteration of the competitors, the well-known island inexperienced witnessed a hole-in-one.
JJ Jakovac, who carries the bag for world no.4 Collin Morikawa, holed a pitching wedge from 131 yards to spark wild scenes on the tee field.
Massive-name gamers together with Jason Day and Min Woo Lee have been there watching, together with tons of of patrons within the crowd.
Jakovac went berserk in celebration, as Morikawa and his fellow gamers smothered the caddie with excessive fives.
In the meantime, golfer Isaiah Salinda appeared into a close-by digital camera and shouted: “Are you not entertained?”
The once-in-a-lifetime shot mustn’t come as an excessive amount of of a shock – given Jakovac was as soon as a top-level golfer himself.
He received particular person titles in school stage and made three Korn Ferry Tour begins.
Wednesday’s jubilation will come as a welcome pick-me-up for Workforce Morikawa after a heartbreaking Sunday.
The 2-time main winner scuppered a 54-hole lead on the Arnold Palmer Invitation and misplaced within the last spherical to Russell Henley.
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Morikawa’s winless streak stretches again to 2023, regardless of being firmly amongst his technology’s most proficient golfers.
The 28-year-old was so disenchanted along with his last spherical that he refused to talk with media afterwards.
Addressing the state of affairs two days later forward of The Gamers, Morikawa stated: “Simply heated. Simply pissed. Like, I don’t owe anybody something.
“No offence to you guys, however for me within the second of that point, I didn’t need to be round anybody.
“Like, I didn’t need to discuss to anybody. I didn’t want any ‘sorries’. I did not want any ‘good playings’. Like, you are simply pissed.
“Truthfully, if it was an hour later I’d have talked to you guys, however an hour later I used to be on my method out of right here, as a result of I didn’t need to be in Orlando anymore.
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“However I simply felt like I put the whole lot I did into the, let’s name it, seven hours of my time being there, proper, a number of hours earlier than exhibiting up, physio, exercise. Look, my total routine, proper. I used to be simply drained.”
He added: “Sunday night time was a variety of frustration.
“It’s probably not rip the whole lot off and begin over, however there’s simply little issues, proper?
“Clearly I wasn’t hitting it as nicely, I wasn’t placing as nicely, however I nonetheless had my possibilities to shut it out, and Russ clearly performed some nice golf. I imply, to make birdie on 14, eagle on 16 and end out with two pars is nice golf on the market. So props to him.
“However there’s simply small issues. I like being in that place. Like, I don’t take it as a right since you simply by no means know.
“However it was irritating Sunday night time. I’ve to recover from it. I imply, I’m again on my two ft; I’m attempting to determine the way to play my finest golf right here for this week.
“I do know my previous couple of finishes haven’t been nearly as good, and yeah, you simply transfer on. I’m going to consider it. I do know what occurred. I totally am conscious of the way it performed out.
“However I simply have to maneuver on and I’ve to be taught from it. I’ve to maintain getting higher. Like I all the time say, you recognize, why not win this week?”