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Sergio hits 5 in water on 15, ties highest score ever

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Sergio Garcia’s 6-iron approach into the 15th hole looked perfect in the air.

It was only just the beginning of his opening-round nightmare at the Masters.

After Garcia’s shot rolled back into the pond fronting the green, he rinsed four more wedge shots and walked off with an octuple-bogey 13.

It was the highest score ever posted on the 15th hole – sleep easy, Ignacio Garrido – and the 13 ties the worst single-score hole in tournament history (Tommy Nakajima, on No. 13 in 1978; Tom Weiskopf, on No. 12 in 1980).


Masters Tournament: Scores | Live blog | Full coverage


“It’s the first time in my career where I made a 13 without missing a shot,” he said afterward. “I hit a lot of good shots, and unfortunately the ball just didn’t want to stop.”

Garcia had only 206 yards for his approach, but it needed to carry two more feet to stay dry. He played his fourth shot from 90 yards, but over and over again his ball landed on the green and spun back into the water. He holed a 10-footer just to record the 13.

“With the firmness of the greens, I felt like the ball was going to stop,” he said, “and unfortunately, for whatever reason, it didn’t want to.”


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Garcia shot 1 over on the other 17 holes and signed for a 9-over 81, the worst opening-round score by a defending Masters champion.