Pro Golfer’s Futility Record: 19 Strokes on Par-5

Australian golfer Robert Emond wrote his name into the record books today when he took 19 strokes to complete the par-5 first hole in the second round of the Australian Tournament Players’ Championship.

Australian PGA Tour officials said 19 was the highest total ever recorded for one hole in a professional event in that country.

Emond was not immediately available for comment after shooting 90 for a 36-hole total of 171, 23 shots behind tournament leader David De Long of the United States, who had a second-round 70 to lead by a stroke. Emond missed the cut at the par-72 Riverside Oaks course by 13 strokes.

He left the first hole angry and wet.

His sorry tale began when he drove his first tee shot into a left side water hazard and was forced to take a new ball and a penalty.

He struck his fourth shot cleanly onto land only to see it roll into another water hazard to the left of the green.

Emond saw that it was time for business and took off his right shoe and sock to try to blast the ball from the water.

But he gave up after two tries and decided to take a drop. Unfortunately that drop--which took him to eight strokes--rolled into his boot, incurring a two-stroke penalty.

Emond lined up for his 11th try--but that, too, found the water, as did his next attempt.

Finally, on his 15th shot, he found the green, but his ball rolled back to the fringe.

In no mood to consider the rules of the game, Emond marked his ball and picked up another two-stroke penalty for doing so.

But, from his position on the fringe, he managed to get down in two.