The Players 2023: Aaron Wise caps first round with 3 water balls, double-digit score

It’s known as one of the toughest tee shots in professional golf.

So tough, in fact, that Aaron Wise needed to hit four of them off the 18th tee Thursday at TPC Sawgrass’ Players Stadium Course. Wise’s three water balls and subsequent sextuple bogey derailed his Players Championship.

Wise was coming off a bogey at the intimidating par-3 17th hole, but at 2 over, it’s not like he was already looking at an early exit. That’s when he hit three nearly identical tee balls – tight draws that started right on the bulkheads before drifting just off the left side of the fairway and splashing into the lake.

With the third time not being the charm, Wise pushed his fourth tee shot, his seventh shot, into the pine straw.

From there, he punched out to 70 yards and managed to get up and down, rolling in a 4-footer for a ’10.’

The number tied the second-worst score on No. 18 at The Players since 1983, equaling Anirban Lahiri in 2017 and slotting only behind Andre Stolz’s ’11’ in 2005.

Wise ended up signing for an 8-over 80, his worst score in 11 career rounds at TPC Sawgrass by five shots.