So Much For Blank Checks...

Reader Matt passed this photo along from someone on site whose name I'd reveal except that the poor lad would probably face federal prosecution for violating something in the fine print.

Stashed under the 18th hole grandstand after Kyle Stanley's 18th hole collapse and playoff loss:

Update on Monday, January 30, 2012 at 08:41 AM by Geoff

**Looks like the New York Times got ahead of itself too (see image below). The homepage still reflects the original lede with Stanley winning, while Karen Crouse's story has been updated to note Stanley's struggles on the 18th. Nice catch by reader Peter.

Comments

[UnderTheChin]

That is awesome

[LeeWatson]

Amazing really. I know a certain Mr. Happy Gilmore would gladly accept this check...in all seriousness here's to hoping Stanley bounces back. Hated to see that yesterday.

[rb]

another "dogged victim of inexorable fate"

[RickABQ]

Yogi Berra was right!

[My Dixie Itches]

Dewey Defeats Truman!

[PJ]

Jean Van de V~

[chicago pt]

brutal, a snowman on an easy 5...hope he wins soon

[TheProfromDover]

Worse collapse? Hardly. Stanley has plenty of company. Can you spell Jean Van de Velde? How about Arnold Palmer losing the U.S. Open and a 7-shot lead with 9 holes to go at the Olympic Club in ’66 to Billy Casper in a play-off? What about Palmer’s careless double bogey from the middle of the 18th fairway to throw away the 1961 Masters to Gary Player by a stroke? Greg Norman was a victim more than once – losing a 6-shot lead in the final round by shooting a 78 at Augusta in 1996, and throwing away the 1986 PGA Championship to Bob Tway in ’85 after starting the final round 4 shots clean and shooting 76 to lose by a stroke. Remember Patty Sheehan squandering a 12-shot lead at the 1990 Women’s U.S. Open by playing the last 33 holes 9 over par and losing by one shot to Betsy King? Least we forget the collapses of Mickelson and Montgomery at the 2006 Open. Remember Gil Morgan at the 1992 U.S. Open? Morgan was running away from the field when he became the first player to ever reach –10 in U.S. Open history (during the third round), and eventually went to –12 with 29 holes left and a hefty 7-shot lead, then collapsed to finish T-13 after starting the final round with a one-shot lead. He never made a cut in the U.S. Open after that. Sam Sneed needed a routine par on the par 5 18th hole to secure his first U.S. Open victory, succumbed to the pressure and made a triple bogey 8 to finish T-5th – he never won a U.S. Open. And just a few years ago, Dustin Johnson shot an ugly 82 in the final round of the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach to lose the title by 5 shots to Graeme McDowell.
The game can be fickle!

[Ardmoreari]

Sad but this is exactly why we play this game... if it were only so easy to take a knee but alas the mind plays tricks and the treats go elsewhere!

[TheProfromDover]

@ rb, exactly - Dan Jenkins would love your comment.

[sgolfer]

Photo of the year.

[jb]

rb's comment is perfect because the poor guy never hit a bad shot.

[Ringer]

Would have been so cool if they'd just covered Stanley's name with white-out and written in Snedeker's.

[Brutal]

sgolfer, had the same thought. Doubt we'll see another photo this year that better tells a story.

[chicago pt]

jb - he hit 4 bad shots on the last hole: 2 wedges and bad 1st and 2nd putts!

[john]

Get used to it. I see all sorts of mistakes online. Factual, grammar, math, written (Chinese as hard to read images rather than rendered text), etc... As long as it gets fixed quickly that's fine by me. The pressure to publish quickly is intense, but it's just golf. The important stuff they better get right the first time.

[TheProfromDover]

This may sound a little like second guessing, but he could have taken the water completely out of play the first time (his 72nd hole) by hitting his second shot past the water to the back side of the green complex. He would have never had the little 'ptich' over the hazard for his third and the hazard would have been taken out of the equation. Notice he did exactly that in the play-off. He could have bailed out long or right - and be guaranteed of making no worse than 7 and a win. Even if he duffed his chip(s) from behind or to the right of the green he could have made a seven. He only had like 225 to the front to cover the water........he was much smarter the seconed time, but too late. Played it too safe and then hit two really bad approach shots, and 2 very poor putts.

[Fan]

Ah! Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing?

[smails]

Trying to cash a check that big would be worth a you tube video...

[TheProfromDover]

@ Fan......we are all 20/20 after the fact. But I am always reminded what Billy Casper said...(sic) "try to always leave yourself the easiest shot possible". After laying up short of the hazard, he then proceeded to hit the wrong 3rd shot....instead of a high, sof shot with little spin, he took it in low and hot with a lot of spin. If ( the largest word in the dictionary) he had taken it past the water on his second shot he wouldn't have had to worry about it. An expensive lesson learned. Stanley plays / lives just a minute or two from me. He is tough and highly skillled. Let's hope he is able to get this behind him in short time.

[GolfFan]

As a late thought, can many of these guys take that extra club and dead hand under-hit the shot to remove spin?

Oh

WAIT ...

Sneds did just that

nevermind

[Mrs. Mashie]

From the other side, sometimes it's just a person's time to win: (1 opponent triples last hole; 2) one's tee shot stops just before causing a problem with divot; 3) shot flies green but hits TV tower and avoids the cliffs; 4) despite ShotLink showing opponent away, measurement opposes this and player gets to putt first giving the opportunity to apply pressure.

[HRC]

I agree that Kyle did choke, but he was robbed on the second playoff hole. What a stupid place to place a tower that prevents golf balls from bouncing down into the gully. What's even worse, they make it a playoff hole. Brandt had no business winning that hole with his club selection.

[Noelg]

I wonder if some of the critics have ever played at any relevant level or are they armchair experts?
Kyle was so far in front he decided he could not disappoint the crowd by hitting the back of the green.
Freak spin shot from a little hill on the green.
I SAW ENOUGH TO BACK HIM THIS WEEK ON BETFAIR AT 45/1!!!!!!!! ANYONE ELSE????????

[blank checks]

Open up in Pebble Seaside to reduce it through five photos in order to Graeme McDowell.

[Zeanne]

Ideally blank check were design to have met the exact amount on whatever financial purpose it has. But then you have your point for ending up the issuance of a blank check that somehow violating the law.