WATCH: TV Star Shanks Ball Into Crowd At Phoenix Open Stadium Hole
Isabella Bartlett
The 16th hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open has produced some memorable moments over the years. Whether it is Tiger Woods' hole in one in 1997, the ace made by Jarrod Lyle in 2011, or the general mishaps and noise from the 20,000 surrounding raucous individuals. It really is one of the most iconic holes in golf!
Dubbed the 'The Coliseum' due to the grandstand seats completely surrounding the hole, it can be an extremely pressure-filled environment. Don't believe us? Then ask The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars' Matt James, who produced a stone-cold shank during the Whoop Shot at Glory.
You can watch the dreaded shank below:
You may wonder what is the Whoop Shot at Glory? Put simply, chosen individuals have one ball which they must get closest to the pin, the person who gets the ball closest, wins $25,000 for their chosen charity.
If we are being honest, when Matt James stepped up to the tee we didn't hold out much hope, with The Bachelor star deciding to go bare-foot and his swing resembling someone who hasn't played the game much in their life. Although, looks can be deceiving, and who knows, it is only one shot.
However, after stepping up to the shot and taking an almighty swipe, the ball didn't propel so much forward than it did sideways, smashing into a group of photographers stationed to the right of the tee.
Thankfully for James, no-one was seriously injured and with all-due respect he did instantly check on the photographer he hit, giving him a somewhat sympathetic hug after the shot.
Posting a video on Instagram afterwards, the 30-year-old said: "Uhhh, I think I was aiming for the wrong hole. You know, I took a divot on that first shot and I should have toned it down a little bit. I was a little bit worked up and that second shot, it just came off the tip of my nine-iron and it was a clean thigh shot.
"I really want to apologise again for that. I was not aiming for you, quite frankly I don't think I was aiming at anything. I don't think I should have stepped out here. I was telling the guys I spent six-hours at Topgolf and it obviously didn't pay off. I will be back next year and I will put a lot of effort in between now and then. The only way is up."
For those wondering if the photographer was okay, he was, posting a humorous video message, saying: "He (James) is a good guy. He felt bad and I felt it. Next year, I will wear a cup!"