Morgan Hoffmann’s golf ball ricochets off his hat at John Deere Classic

It doesn’t matter what your skill level is, sometimes things just don’t go your way on the golf course.

Just ask Morgan Hoffmann, who had a hat-scratching shot out of the bunker during Round 1 of the John Deere Classic on Thursday.

Hoffmann was cruising through much of his round relatively unscathed at one-under before a greenside bunker on No. 16 had other plans. Not only did Hoffmann come up short, he ended up plugging his golf ball near the lip of the sand trap.

Hoffmann really only had two options in no man’s land: Hit it backwards into the bunker to give him a better lie or try to overcome all the angles the shot presented and aim for the green.

He chose the latter and ended up with the former unintentionally. But not without taking some friendly fire in the process.

Hit your hat 🧢
Hit the pin ⛳️

Wild hole for @Morgan_Hoffmann 😳 pic.twitter.com/Mkf7wmZXHE

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 30, 2022

Instead of getting out of the sand trap, the ball went straight up before catching Hoffmann’s hat as it careened back down the bunker.

In years past, hitting yourself with the golf ball would normally result in a penalty. But thanks to a recent rule change, Hoffmann was not dinged with an extra stroke as it was accidental.

Hoffmann wouldn’t let the flub get the best of him, either, as he hit the pin and nearly holed out on the ensuing shot before making a bogey.

He would turn in one more bogey on the 18th to finish the round at one-over for the tournament.

File another one under the golf-is-hard tab.

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