High-Profile Golfing Horrors From 2019

It's that time of year again, that time when ghosts and ghouls come out to play. When Halloween arrives it gives us the urge to trawl through the 2019 golfing archives and bring you a collection of our favourite horror stories.

Some may make you cackle, others will run a chill down your spine, regardless, let's remind ourselves what gruesome goings-on we've witnessed in the golfing world over this past 12 months. Here's what we've come up with...

Rory's Horrific Homecoming

Back in July on the north Antrim coast of Northern Ireland, Rory McIlroy was the talk of the town - and the world at large - as golf enthusiasts viewed this year's Open Championship as the perfect opportunity for him to return to his major-winning best.

McIlroy holds the course record at Royal Portrush and with this viewed as his major homecoming, what followed in the first round was gruesome in the extreme. Posting an opening 79 was about as far from ideal as you could imagine.

Friday was a little more 'Rory-like' as he showed some real resilience and ultimately missed the cut by a solitary shot.

Zach Johnson's Nightmarish Tee-Shot

Sometimes we amateur golfers enjoy seeing the world's best taken down a peg or two by inexplicably displaying the kind of mistakes we make with annoying regularity. Step forward, Zach Johnson.

Back at this year's Masters, the 2007 champion suffered a fright as he was taking a practice swing on the tee-box and accidentally made contact with the ball.

Wow! Zach Johnson is all of us... pic.twitter.com/BvVWA1wBvU
— Fantasy Golf Pod (@fantasygolfpod) April 12, 2019

Duval's Frightful 14 at Royal Portrush

We all have horror golf holes, but what happened to David Duval on the 7th hole of the north Antrim coast was pretty ghastly.

A combination of two wayward drives, playing the wrong ball and some questionable strikes all led to a score that quickly spiralled out of control. Though he's a part-time player these days, the 91 he ultimately carded was still pretty blood-curdling stuff.

JB Holmes Posts a Horrible 87

Though four shots better than Duval's number, JB Holmes' 87 makes the list as it came just when he needed it least.

Holmes was in second place after three rounds at the 148th Open Championship and had every chance of breaking his major duck with a solid 18 holes on Sunday. What followed was a nightmarish round best watched behind your hands.

He has also been called out this year for having a monstrously slow golf game and this can frustrate and unnerve playing partners. World number one Brooks Koepka referenced this point back in February...

Green 'Slasher' Sergio Strikes Again

Over the years Sergio Garcia has displayed a rather 'emotional' approach to the game of golf so perhaps we shouldn't be overly surprised that he hacked into a green at the Saudi International back in February.

In fact, Garcia damaged five greens on the front nine by dragging the sole of his shoe across the top of the putting surface but went a step further on the sixth by also leaving a divot mark.

He also took his temper out on a poor bunker during the same tournament too...

Fowler Finds a Watery Grave (Twice)

While leading in the final round of the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, Rickie Fowler chipped his third shot into the water on the par-4 11th hole. After a penalty drop, he placed his ball, which then rolled back into the water leading to another penalty.

He would go on to sink a 16-footer for a triple-bogey 7 but he had enough in the tank to get over the line for his only 2019 win.

Hello Darkness My Old Friend (Fails Compilation)

Our list wouldn't be complete without a collection of some of the most shocking amateur golf fails. Check out these golfers getting more than they bargained for - in an altogether pretty terrifying manner!!