NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — The grounds were still buzzing almost 24 hours after it happened. Jordan Spieth won’t win this PGA Championship, but he quite possibly hit the defining shot of the tournament.
“I don’t think most amateurs understand how incredible it was,” says coach Josh Gregory.
“It was an unbelievable golf shot. Unbelievable,” says coach Andreas Kali.
Justin Thomas called it “incredible” on Twitter, adding that there were “maybe” only five players on earth capable of hitting that shot. Fellow PGA Tour player Michael Kim gently disagreed, adding there was only one.
“[JT] was the first text I saw about it after my round,” Spieth says. “I think it was a top-two shot I’ve ever hit on tour.”
Can’t put into words how incredible this is and how MAYBE 5 people in this tournament could even hit that shot let alone try it during a major, and pull it off haha
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) May 16, 2026
The shot came in Friday’s second round on the par-4 11th hole. On paper, it wasn’t that impressive. A 67-yard wedge shot to just over nine feet, a modest 0.18 Strokes Gained on the field.
But that doesn’t do it justice.
The hole location on No. 11 was cut just five yards from the right edge of the green, with just five yards of green in front of it. In front of that was a steep slope leading to rough, and a bunker after that.
It’s why the hole play as one of the most difficult par 4s on the course despite being one of the shortest. There were just eight birdies on the hole all day, and while most players were approaching with a half-wedge, the average proximity to the hole was just inside 40 feet.
And then came Spieth.
The green being elevated means the ball is coming in with a shallower landing angle, which would skip the ball before landing.
“It’s why you saw players trying to hit higher launch, lower spin wedges, almost like long flop shots, into that hole,” said Kali, who coaches Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
The problem was the hole was also severely downwind. Those factors plus a healthy sprinkling of fear is why the most common leave on the approach into this hole was about 30 feet past the pin.
“I just tried to throw my hands into the ground, and hit a low driving draw,” Spieth says. “It’s nice because it’s one of those shots where you can’t get technical with it. You just have to feel it.”
Emilee Chinn
Spieth went the exact opposite route: A low shot that flew under the wind, but with enough spin to stick when it landed—a shot made all the more difficult by the fact that he’s got a high-lofted wedge in his hands.
The reason why more players didn’t try this is because there’s almost no margin of error. Hit a high shot too hard and it’ll still stop relatively quickly. Get the low one wrong and it’ll rocket long, potentially off the green.
It also requires landing the ball short of the hole, into an upslope to help kill the speed it approaches. Miss that tiny surface area and again, the ball is rocketing long.
Somehow, Spieth had the shot in his bag. And for some reason, he decided to try it.
“The moment I hit it I knew it would be pretty good. I still don’t understand how it stayed short,” Spieth says. “It was pretty cool. I told Annie afterwards I don’t think anybody else would’ve attempted that shot, except maybe JT.”
Jordan Spieth defying golf physics with this wedge shot 🤯
📺 ESPN | @PGAChampionship pic.twitter.com/r93iAH5SAb
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 15, 2026
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com