Had he not included the short par-4 14th hole at Black Desert Resort, PGA Tour pro Davis Thompson would have had an opening round to be proud of Thursday at the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship.
But an unfilmed chipping disaster at age 14 turned Thompson’s scorecard upside down and left golf fans scratching their heads over the bizarre Shot Tracker results for the hole.
Here’s what we know happened.
Davis Thompson makes ugly 8 at Bank of Utah Championship
Most of Thompson’s first-round scorecard looked pleasant. Three bogeys were offset by five birdies, leaving him at two under. But that doesn’t take into account the horror show that happened on 14.
Thompson started his day on the back nine, making four steady pars on holes 10-13. Next up was the par-4 14th. Most pros play just 308 yards and stand on the tee hoping for a birdie or better on the second easiest hole on the course.
Thompson probably felt the same way, especially when his tee shot ended up just short and left of the green. But four shots later, and Thompson had barely moved his feet.
While there is no video of the incident, we can get a good idea of what happened using the PGA Tour’s Shot Tracker. While the 14th is short, the green is raised and the edges are shaved, causing any balls hit short to roll off the front of the putting surface.
This appears to be what happened to Thompson.
What made matters worse Thursday was the placement of a pin on the left front edge of the green. So the pro, who won the John Deere Classic last year, was left with a tricky chip with little room to work with.
According to Shot Tracker, Thompson’s second shot from 55 feet ended just six feet from where it startedmost likely after rolling back off the front of the green. His third shot advanced another six feet.
But the disaster was just beginning. His fourth shot, and probably third chip, ended at six feet further away from the hole. Shot No. 5 appears to have landed back at his feet, while Shot Tracker registers only six inches of progress.
On his sixth shot, Thompson decided to give up trying to get it close, sending it 25 feet past the hole. But at least he was finally setting.
Two putts later he recorded a quadruple-bogey 8.
A Tour Cast video playback, posted to X.com by @TheModelManiac, shows Thompson’s struggles at 14 in more detail.
While the snowman was devastating to Thompson’s scorecard, he rallied on his second nine and made four birdies in a row to cap a round of two-over 73.
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