As Min Woo Lee tried to seize the first win of his PGA Tour profession in Houston, the Aussie additionally needed to stand up to some stress in his group.
Taking part in alongside Argentinian Alejandro Tosti and New Zealander Ryan Fox, Lee entered the ultimate spherical with a four-shot lead over the Argentine. However Tosti rinsed his second shot into the creek on the par-4 1st gap, which all however ended his probabilities of transferring up the leaderboard. He was understandably annoyed after that second, however then grew angrier on the par-5 eighth gap.
After pushing his drive effectively proper of the golf green and into the bushes, Lee wanted 12 minutes to finally decide that his ball was unplayable. He wanted to take a drop, and finally, he saved his par. However it took the ultimate group 31 minutes to complete this par-5, which left Tosti slightly testy.
As the ultimate group performed the opening, the NBC Sports activities broadcast confirmed Tosti conversing with a guidelines official. No audio of their dialogue aired, however on-course reporter Jim “Bones” Mackay defined how Tosti was sad with how lengthy Lee’s ordeal with the bush took to play out.
4 holes later, on the par-4 twelfth, the place Lee nonetheless held the lead, cameras confirmed Tosti strolling greater than 100 yards behind his enjoying companions. Mackay then chimed once more, accusing Tosti of purposefully slowing down Lee and Fox.
“I don’t know what’s happening, however Tosti is enjoying at his personal tempo,” Mackay mentioned.
“At occasions, it’s regular. At occasions, it’s glacially sluggish. However he’s selected this specific gap to actually take his time, and he’s holding up play on this final group.”
Kevin Kisner, the lead analyst for NBC Sports activities, added:
“If it have been me, I’d stroll over to Tosti and say, ‘What are you doing, bro?’”
Mackay didn’t cease there, nonetheless.
“The underside line is that is extremely unfair to a 26-year-old man making an attempt to recover from the end line for the primary time,” Mackay added.
Tosti, who finally tied for fifth and didn’t communicate to the media after his spherical, then took to social media on Monday to elucidate his facet of the story.
He did so with brevity and acquired on to the purpose. His social media submit responded to the Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine, who added a couple of ideas on this ordeal.
“Bones speaking sh*t for the followers,” Tosti posted on X on Monday morning.
“Saying I’m strolling 50 yards behind and ‘making an attempt to sluggish my enjoying accomplice.’ The half you don’t see is that I used the restroom and ready myself a drink.”
Tosti’s T-5 end in Houston marked the second straight season during which he completed among the many top-5 at Memorial Park. He tied for second final yr, which proved to be one of the best results of his season. He would go on to overlook 12 cuts all through 2024 whereas recording just one extra top-10 end, which got here on the Shriners Youngsters’s Open in Las Vegas. Tosti completed the yr exterior the highest 125 within the FedEx Cup standings, however he regained his PGA Tour card for the 2025 season by way of Q-College. He completed among the many prime 5 there final December.
To this point this season, Tosti has made solely 4 cuts in 9 begins, with this previous week being his greatest end. He additionally recorded a top-10 on the Mexico Open, however got here nowhere near contending at The American Categorical and the Cognizant Traditional — the one different occasions the place he has made the reduce this season.
And but, golf followers will keep in mind Tosti’s ordeal at this yr’s Texas Youngsters’s Houston Open greater than something.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. Observe him on X @jack_milko.
