Adam Hadwin probably wishes he could erase the second hole at Bay Hill from his memory after a disastrous sequence during the Arnold Palmer Invitational. What started as a routine par-4 turned into a double-bogey meltdown that left fans and analysts shaking their heads.

It all began with a wayward tee shot that found the rough on the right side. From there, Hadwin’s troubles snowballed. His second shot barely moved the ball, leaving it buried deep in the thick grass. Undeterred—or perhaps just stubborn—he took another swing, only to watch the ball stubbornly refuse to budge more than a few feet, still stuck in the rough.

At this point, most players might have considered their options more carefully, but Hadwin pressed on. His fourth shot finally escaped the grassy prison, landing in a greenside bunker. A decent sand shot got him onto the green, but the damage was done. Two putts later, he walked off with a double-bogey 6, a score that felt more like a survival story than a golf hole.

The second hole at Bay Hill, a 231-yard par-3 for amateurs, plays as a par-4 for the pros during the tournament. It’s no stranger to chaos, but Hadwin’s misadventure stood out. Social media lit up with reactions, ranging from sympathy to memes about the ball’s apparent vendetta against him. One X post quipped, “Adam Hadwin’s ball must’ve signed a lease in that rough—it wasn’t leaving without a fight.”

For Hadwin, ranked No. 52 in the world, this was a rare stumble in an otherwise solid career. He’s known for steady play and the occasional viral moment—like tackling a streaker at the 2017 Canadian Open. But at Bay Hill, the only thing he tackled was his own frustration. The double bogey dropped him down the leaderboard early, and while he’s got time to recover, it’s a reminder of how quickly golf can humble even the best.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational always delivers drama, and Hadwin’s second-hole saga is just the latest chapter. If nothing else, it’s a tale of perseverance—or maybe just a lesson in knowing when to take an unplayable lie.

Had to go back on PGATL to explore this Adam Hadwin situation. Rules of Golf rearing their ugly head. Hadwin hits tee shot on 2 into lip of bunker. PGATL cameras literally capture the entire flight of golf ball, we all see the ball go into lip of bunker with our own two eyes. Hadwin walks to the green knowing where his ball went. Marshals, camera man on scene wondering where it is. So buried that they could not locate the ball. Despite knowing where it went, it’s a lost ball, hadwin has to go back to the tee to hit 3. Makes 5. BRRRRUTAL.