Gordon Sargent putt pops out of final hole at U.S. Open

Even for the best in the world, golf is hard. And unfair. And a lot of other words that we probably shouldn’t use on this platform. But we’re guessing all of them ran through the mind of amateur golfer Gordon Sargent on Sunday, whose final round from the U.S. Open ended in brutal fashion.

Sargent enjoyed a solid performance at this year’s U.S. Open, ending the tournament at +4 from the Los Angeles Country Club. But, in all actuality, the amateur should’ve ended his event at +3 and carded a 2-under-par 68 in the final round.

The problem? On the final hole from LACC, Sargent’s “gimme” putt bounced out of the cup. Seriously. It forced the golfer to tap the ball in one more time before finally concluding the round.

Brutal.pic.twitter.com/BmGN5mpaUA

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 18, 2023

How many four-letter words do you think he whispered under his breath? There had to be at least a few, right? That’s just brutal. And … unfair.

Because of the odd bounce Sargent’s ball took once hitting the cup, the USGA went out to the 18th green to check the cup, per Shane Bacon of The Fried Egg. Unfortunately, that does very little for Sargent’s final round.

I got confirmation that the USGA is going to go out and check the 18th-hole cup after the Gordon Sargent situation earlier.

— Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) June 18, 2023

We’ve all probably dealt with similar situations on the golf course, right? But the difference is we’re allowed to change our score (assuming you have courteous playing partners) and Sargent’s goes down in permanent ink.

It was a tough way to end a great four-day stretch for the amateur.

Cameron Young’s unbelievable (literally) tee shot at U.S. Open

Usually, we reserve the honor of “best shot of a tournament” for a winning putt, a hole-in-one, or some other miraculous moment during the U.S. Open. But we’re willing to make an exception this year.

Cameron Young undoubtedly had the shot of the tournament, and it wasn’t even accomplished on purpose. But that doesn’t make the moment any less incredible.

Young’s tee shot ended up in the golf-ball holder of a golf cart. It had to be incredibly precise in order to land in that spot — although it was nowhere near where the golfer aimed.

For those naysayers out there, the USGA provided video evidence.

"Nobody will believe this."

Cameron Young's tee shot ended up in a spot made for a ball. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/rGVYnSTGVj

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2023

What are the odds of that happening? It’s definitely slimmer than carding a hole-and-one — and it might be more impressive, too.

These kinds of shots can be incredibly frustrating, considering Young is wanting to win a major golf tournament. But when you see the final landing spot, you really can’t help but smile.