One of the most recognized holes at Valhalla, venue of the 2024 PGA Championship, is the par 4 13th. The reason is due to its island green and, on Sunday, it provided an opportunity for players to gain a huge advantage.
For the first three rounds of the PGA Championship, the tee positions have meant the 13th was just out of reach for the world's best but, for the final round, organizers have pushed the tee boxes up slightly to make it a more reachable par 4. Certainly, for Argentina's Alejandro Tosti, he took full advantage on Sunday, producing one of the shots of the week.
ARE YOU SERIOUS?!Tosti hits the driver off the tee to 6 FEET on the 351 yard par 4 13th surrounded by water 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ENZymjOCpwMay 19, 2024
Well down the leaderboard in Kentucky, Tosti was playing for not just pride, but some crucial FedEx Cup points. Following a one-under-par front nine, the 27-year-old bogeyed the 12th as he then came to the 13th, a hole he had double bogeyed just 24 hours prior, after putting his approach into the drink.
Out for vengeance, Tosti pulled out his driver and gave the ball an almighty whack that registered a ball speed of 180mph, well above the PGA Tour's average. Soaring through the air, hitting an apex of 127-feet, the shot landed on the green like a butterfly with sore feet, eventually finishing around six-feet from the flag for a potential eagle.
In the early wave, we had already seen an eagle from Englishman Jordan Smith, who holed out from 111-yards at the par 4. However, Tosti's eagle would come from much closer in, as the Korn Ferry Tour winner rolled in the putt to move to two-under for his round.
Although unlikely, the tee shot from Tosti may tempt some of the leaders later on to go for the green with a driver, especially if they are chasing a score through the back nine. However, we will have to wait and see what occurs as the afternoon draws on.
Going into the final day of the second men's Major of 2024, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa share the lead at 15-under-par, with a number of big names hoping to chase down the American pair. These include Major champions Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose, as well as PGA Tour winners Sahith Theegala and Viktor Hovland.
