Saturday 12 August 2017 18:22, UK
Rod Pampling produced one of the most bizarre tee shots ever seen in a major as he just managed to complete his second round at the PGA Championship.
Officials were on the verge of sounding their klaxons to signal the end of play for the day due to darkness following an earlier storm delay of one hour, 43 minutes, although the field had the option of completing the hole they were on - if they had started it.
Pampling had just trudged off the eighth - his 17th - on 12 over par and missing the cut by a distance, so it was understandable that he was keen to avoid a 5:30am alarm call on Saturday morning to return to Quail Hollow for one hole.
And, after being informed that the klaxons were about to sound as he stood on the ninth tee, Pampling hastily slipped on his glove and practically ran up to his ball before swotting it away in a stroke more reminiscent of Happy Gilmore rather than a professional golfer!
However, as the shot tracker revealed, the veteran Aussie hit a low duck-hook which careered into the trees on the left, although he cared not a jot as he eventually tapped in for a double-bogey and a round of 79.
Meanwhile, Jason Day rewarded playing-partner Dustin Johnson with a hug after the world No 1 ensured his group would finish their rounds with seconds to spare.
While Day and Henrik Stenson were finishing up on the 17th green, Johnson sprinted to the final tee, shouted at the group ahead to watch their heads, and got his drive away just as the official raised his arm before sounding the horn.
Day shaved the edge of the hole from 12 feet for birdie in near-darkness a few minutes later as he signed for a 66 to be just two off the lead at the halfway stage, and the 2015 champion was thankful to Johnson for giving them a Saturday morning lie-in.
He said: "On 17 I was off the green and we were talking about if we can get a tee shot on 18, we could finish the round. And DJ is like, 'I'll do it'. He hit it to 20 feet and I hoped he either holes it or hits it stone-dead, and he did, and then he ran out there and teed off.
"As soon as he teed off, we all kind of flushed it down 18. And I just walked up to him and said: 'That's the biggest, or most clutch thing I've ever seen anyone do for me'.
"I had to give him a hug for it. Obviously, to be able to finish and not have to wake up at 5:30am, get some rest, because it is hot out there and it does take it out of you, even though you are waking up early, you don't feel like it did, but it really does. To be able to get that extra sleep and relax a little bit in the afternoon; it goes for Henrik, and Dustin, as well."
