I'm Sorry, What?

I don’t know if “the greatest round ever on a par-three course” is an actual thing people debate. Honestly, I don’t even know of a single other round anyone has ever talked about on a par-three course. But I promise you this: people will be talking about what Johnny Travale did earlier this week at the Arizona Skins Game at the Mountain Shadows Short Course near Scottsdale, Arizona.

It is the greatest round ever played on a par-three course. (I did zero research on that. None. But once you hear the details, you’ll agree. Trust me.)

The Arizona Skins Game has been around for years in the Scottsdale area, and the field is usually packed with pros who live locally or winter there. On Tuesdays, they play Mountain Shadows. The par-54 short course has 18 holes ranging from 85 to 195 yards and plays 2,310 yards total (128-yard average) from the “tips.” Pros I spoke with called it “tricky” and “not easy.”

And on Tuesday… Johnny Travale shot 40. Fourteen-under. Including an 18 (yes, you read that right — 18!) on the front nine.

Let’s add some context to how insane that is. The week prior, KFT member Grant Hirschman won the low-round pot with a six-under 48. This season, three-under has won, four-under has won multiple times, and five-under has, too. According to Travale, his 40 beat the course record by three or four shots.

The buy-in for the Skins Game is $135 if you want in on everything — skins (obviously, the big pot), first five, last five, longest birdie streak, and beast ball (partners).

Travale won every single category. (He tied in two, but still. Every. Single. One.)

In the “first five” competition, former PGA Tour member Brandon Harkins shot four-under. A score that would have won (or tied) that portion of the pot every single time the Skins Game has been played there in the last five years. Harkins lost to Travale by two. In a five-hole contest. Good grief.

Travale’s front nine went like this: 2-2-2-2-1-2-2-3-2. He didn’t make any long bombs (mostly because he didn't have many) and even had a really good look at birdie on his eighth hole, his only par on the front nine.

He shot 18. Eighteen. On nine holes.

And for those wondering how long those holes actually are, here they are in order:

107

162

156

193

93 (the one he made)

120

75

175

90

The 25-year-old Canadian now heads to second stage of Q-school in Tucson next week. And if his wedge game shows up like this, he might have the easiest walk through second stage in history.

Thanks to the Arizona Skins Game (@arizonaskins on IG) for the heads up about the round.

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