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Earlier this evening I was contemplating the greatest golf shot that I have ever seen. I think that it occured earlier this season----but do not know know for sure who made it. It was a shot made from a water hazard that I am fairly sure was also positioned immediately next to a sand trap. The ball was fully summerged and the golfer---I THINK that it was Sergio Garcia---- took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his trouser leg, waded into the water and then blasted ball, including a spray of water and sand, out of the hazard and onto a nearby green. The ball might have been a foot or more below the water, when the golfer took the shot. Anyway, it was a really gutsy shot and I think that it occured at "the Wachovia" tournament. Does anybody else remember this shot and can you tell me, for sure, who made it, what hole, and in what tournament it occured? Anybody have a video of the shot? Thanks in advance for any help.

I think it was David Toms?

i remember Sergio playing a shot from out of the water (deeper than you would normally see, shoes off, trousers rolled up etc..), but it went over the green (the best he could do from the water) and he got up and down for a bogey. so that could be the wrong one.

I think that you are right, now that I think about it. The ball did go over the green. But what tournamemnt was this?

The Bay Hill, on the 17th hole

it was probably more 4-5 inches than a foot.

You are probably right about the depth of the water. Even though I am a new golfer and NEVER would have attemped such a shot myself, it was, in my opinion, just a great shot----and I am not even a great fan of Sergio's. (I don't especially dislike him...he's just not at the top of my list of favorite golfers.) Unless I am missing something in the rules, even though the ball was blasted to the other side of the green, the score outcome was no worse than him taking a penalty stroke. Riskier yes, but the outcome was the same. Who knows, maybe the under other circumstances (i.e. slightly shorter or weaker swing) the ball goes into the hole?!?

Thanks for the info though. I am going to try and get a picture of that shot ----with the water and sand showing. It might make a great screensaver. Jim

Exactly. It was Sergio. The shot ended up just slightly through the green as it stopped quick in the rough.

Just found a picture of the shot. Here's the link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2...ent_545864.htm

The camera angle is different from angle that I saw on TV but its the same shot nevertheless. You guys are right though: from the angle in this link, looks like the ball was not a foot or so under the water but maybe only at a depth of three or four inches. Doesn't take away from the gutsiness of the shot though. At least IMHO.

I'd be interested to know what you more experienced golfers think though regarding Sergio's wisdom ---or lack thereof ----about taking the shot? Seems ok to me as long as he'd practiced it. It would seem to me that it was unlikely that he'd done so. (Of course, I've only been playing for about eight months so what do I know about such matters? )

It's hard for this hacker to comment on the wisdom of Sergio hitting such a shot. If the ball is more than an inch or so submerged, I wouldn't even attempt it (I know... I've tried before). Those guys are so much more skilled, maybe it is possible for them if it's deeper. It's hard to imagine it being doable if the ball were more than 3" or so submerged.

it was about 3'' - 5'' under the surface, thats why the best he could do was slash it out over the green.

Hey Wazmankg:

Did YOU practice this shot at some point before attempting it? Please tell me that you didn't Otherwise, I guess that I will have to add the water shot to my practice routine. [As a new golfer one of my aproaches to learning the game and learning to play has been to head to the practice range a lot and to read, read, read. Most every golf book that I have read says "...never to attempt a shot unless you have practiced it." So please tell that you strayed from convetional wisdom and didn't have the water shot as part of your practice routine. Otherwise, I will now have to find a practice facility that has a big water hazard.

Oh no. It's rarely worth the trouble or cost of the cleaning bill. I've probably tried to hit submerged balls fewer than 5 times in 40 years. I've advanced a couple, never one that was more than an inch under water. I'll still give one a whack if it's only partially submerged, depending on my mood and what I'm wearing at the time.

I certainly wouldn't try it...imagine how hard you'd have to go at it to hit a ball that was 3 or more inches submerged? That's quite a bit of water you have to displace!

It would be hard because the water would change the angle of attack of the club head. The more lofted the club and deeper the ball, the farther behind the ball you would have to try and hit. That is what I would think anyway.