The Cost of a Three Foot Putt

Is this the scariest putt in golf? We have missed this putt enough times to drive us crazy.We have all made this putt a thousand times. It’s the putt you give your companion while it doesn’t matter and make him putt if he is going to beat you.

While most of us were watching the British Open, the PGA Tour had the Reno-Tahoe Open going on in Nevada. What makes having this event at the same time great is it gives some tour players (and non tour players) a chance to get their first win while the bigger names are across the pond. With a victory comes a two year exemption and a pretty good payday.

Matt Bettencourt is the Winner. The first time PGA Tour winner took home about $53,990 as the runner up, Bob Heintz took home a measly (that’s sarcasm) about $323,990. I’m not a Bob Heintz or Matt Bettencourt fan, I’ve actually never heard of either of them but while a PGA Tour caliber player misses a three foot putt on 18 to force a playoff, it’s worthy of a brief article. The missed putt can be seen on the video below at the 2:28 mark.

I don’t want to carry anything away from Matt Bettencourt. At the 1:58 mark of the video he hits a remarkable bunker shot and makes the putt to save par and played well enough all week to earn the victory in spite of shooting +1 on Saturday.  Congratulations to him for his first Tour victory but I don’t believe anyone should lose the way Bob did.

Well, as far as I’m concerned, it’s probably tough to feel bad for a guy who walked away with about $323,990 for a weekend of work but think about this the next time you miss a short putt for the $19 match your playing. This putt was worth $215,990 in cash and a two-year PGA Tour exemption (rumors are this is a minimum of $399,990 of endorsements but I have no proof of this).

We all have these putts at one day and I’m certain I have missed my share  but he next time you want to give this putt think twice about what may have happened if Matt Bettencourt was allowed to say: “It’s fine.”