Nick Watney's careless 17th hole putts at Players Championship hard to watch in opening round

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Whether you’re a pro or an amateur, golf can be a frustrating and unforgiving sport. 

PGA Tour pro Nick Watney can tell you all about that after his dreadful performance at the 17th green at TPC Sawgrass Thursday. 

During the opening round of the Players Championship, Watney stepped up to the tee box on the 17th hole, a par-3 that features an island green that isn’t too far away but is still tricky for all levels of play. 

Watney, 41, had the wrong club when he hit his tee shot from 125 yards away past the front pin, and it found the water. He was the 13th player to do so in the first round, but that wasn’t even the worst of it. 

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Nick Watney of the U.S. hits his first shot on the 13th hole during the first round of the Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Golf Club March 2, 2023, in Rio Grande.  (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

The drop-area shot also saw Watney too strong as his 82-yard approach left him a hard, downhill putt from 29 feet. 

Trying to walk away with a bogey on his first putt, Watney pushed it four feet past the cup. His next putt stayed right off his blade and didn’t find the hole either. 

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Frustrated, Watney stepped up immediately to the ball to tap it in, but that haste didn’t work in his favor. He missed the tap-in, and even NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico couldn’t hold back. 

"Stop. Stop!" he yelled on the broadcast. 

Nick Watney of the U.S. reacts to his shot from the fifth tee during the first round of the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale Feb. 9, 2023, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Watney finally tapped the ball in for a quadruple bogey and walked off the green in obvious disappointment. 

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It hasn’t been the best few weeks leading into the Players for Watney, who missed the cut in six of his last seven events. He ranks 160th in the FedEx Cup standings. 

Watney ended up shooting 4-over in his opening round as he eradicated an eagle and two birdies in his round with this quadruple bogey and a triple bogey on hole 10. He went on to bogey the 18th hole to finish 7-over on the back nine. 

Nick Watney of the U.S. lines up a putt on the eighth green during the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club July 31, 2022, in Detroit. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

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Chad Ramey ended Thursday as the leader at 8-under, while Collin Morikawa is behind him by one stroke.