WATCH: Jordan Spieth Nearly Hits Rory Sabbatini With Drive

Twitter: @joechamber PGA Tour

(Image credit: Twitter: Joe Chamber/PGA Tour)

published 13 March 21

During the third round of The Players Championship, Jordan Spieth encountered an awkward situation as he teed off the 11th hole without realising that Rory Sabbatini was still stood on the right side of the fairway.

WATCH: Jordan Spieth Nearly Hits Rory Sabbatini With Drive

American Jordan Spieth had been going along nicely at two-under-par for his round when he teed off at the 11th hole.

Blocking his drive to the right of the fairway, the three-time major champion's ball clattered into the trees and catapulted back into the short grass.

What Spieth failed to realise was the group in front were still in range for him, with the ball narrowly missing Rory Sabbatini.

The near-miss led to Spieth saying to his playing partner, Collin Morikawa: "I couldn't pick a worse person to hit into."

After the near miss, Sabbatini would hit a poor shot to the left off the green, giving Spieth a huge stare as the Slovakian walked on down the 11th fairway.

After their round had finished, Spieth said to Golf Digest: "If I had to choose guys to hit into, he wouldn’t be one of them. I'm a little lucky, though, as we get along well. Collin said the same thing, too: ‘He likes me, too, so we should be fine.’

“I’ll apologise when I see him, I hit a tree right by him, so it couldn’t have been a good feeling.”

Matt Cradock

Matt studied Sports Journalism at Southampton Solent University, graduating in 2019. Now a freelance writer for Golf Monthly and the PGA, he covers all aspects of the game, from Tour news to equipment testing and buyers’ guides. Taking up the game at the age of six, Matt currently holds a handicap of 3 and despite not having a hole in one…yet, he has had two albatrosses. His favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.