Furyk wins closest-to-pin contest at Jaguars game

If you pit two terrible teams against each other in a primetime NFL matchup, don’t be surprised if a golf tournament breaks out.

The Jacksonville Jaguars faced the Tennessee Titans on Thursday, and with the teams entering with a combined record of 4-24, the on-field display (regrettably) lived up to expectations. The action picked up at halftime, though, as Jim Furyk won a closest-to-the-pin contest over a trio of PGA Tour players and Jaxson de Ville, the home team’s mascot.

Participants hit from a platform built on the stadium’s second level to a flag placed on the 50-yard line. Furyk’s shot, which landed about 15 feet left of the pin, was good enough to beat fellow pros Harris English, David Lingmerth and Luke Guthrie.

It was a bit of payback for Furyk, who last year lost a similar contest not to another Tour player, but instead to the mascot.

Perhaps boosted by Furyk’s shot, the Jaguars came back to beat the Titans, 21-13. With no shortage of professional golfers living in the Jacksonville area - and with the performance of the home team usually not helping with fan retention - the Jaguars run the halftime contest somewhat regularly during the season.