Full Breakdown
J.T. Poston’s Septuple-Bogey at the 2026 Travelers Championship
6/29/2026, 9:08:12 AM
The Collapse on the 13th Hole
On Sunday’s final round at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, world No. 32 J.T. Poston turned a three-under-par position into a 12-stroke hole on the par-5 13th. After a solid drive to the fairway, his second shot landed in a greenside bunker. The bunker shot fell short, leaving a 59-foot chip from a fairway cut. A subsequent pitch rolled across the green and into the water, forcing a penalty drop. Two more drops followed as his chips repeatedly re-entered the water. His 10th stroke finally rested on the green, but he missed the 13-foot comeback putt, tapped in an 8-inch putt, and recorded a septuple-bogey 12. Two holes later, a double-bogey on the par-4 15th dropped his round from 8-under to 1-over, and he finished with a 76, placing 69th of 72.
Background: Recent Success and Tournament Setting
Poston entered the Travelers Championship having won the Memorial Tournament three weeks earlier, a victory that elevated his Official World Golf Ranking to 32. The Travelers, a PGA Tour event traditionally known for low scores, was played on the 13-hole par-5 that had previously offered birdie opportunities. The 13th hole’s green is guarded by a pond on its right side, and a narrow fairway cut can funnel errant shots toward the water.
Shot-by-Shot Timeline
1. Tee shot – fairway, center.
2. Second shot – greenside bunker, right of the putting surface.
3. Third shot – 22 ft from bunker lip to fairway cut, 59 ft from hole.
4. Fourth shot – pitch over the green, ball rolls into water; first penalty drop.
5. Fifth shot – sand-wedge chip from the bank, short, rolls back into water; second drop.
6. Sixth shot – chip again rolls into water; third drop.
7. Seventh–ninth shots – attempts to advance ball, still off the green.
8. Tenth shot – ball lands on green, 13 ft from hole.
9. Eleventh shot – missed 13-ft putt.
10. Twelfth shot – tapped in 8-inch putt for a 12.
Data & Statistics
- Distance after two strokes: ~80 ft to the pin.
- Total strokes on 13th: 12 (septuple-bogey).
- Round score: 76 (+6), 69th place out of 72.
- Score swing: from –8 to +1 after 13th and 15th holes.
- Highest single-hole score on the PGA Tour since Matthieu Pavon’s octuple-bogey 12 at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open.
Official Statements from Poston
Poston explained that the bunker shot was deliberately kept short to avoid the pond, but the ball’s position forced a chip that rolled into the water. He described the surrounding rough as “into the grain,” noting that he believed a chip could still generate enough spin. Regarding the repeated water encounters, he said the bank’s grass made the ball roll back, complicating his attempts. In hindsight, he admitted he would have aimed for a 12-foot chip rather than persisting with longer attempts, acknowledging that his mindset at the time prioritized execution over safety.
Verbatim Quotes
- “First off, just hitting in that bunker is the last place we should have been,” — J.T. Poston, PGA Tour player
- “It’s not really rough, where you can kind of blast it out,” — J.T. Poston, PGA Tour player
- “Putting it [from the bank], I feel like it’s just going to hop and that takes all the speed out of it. And you’ve got this big false front you got to get it over. So, my worry with trying to putt it was it would not have enough speed to really get there. Yeah, I mean, obviously, in hindsight, I would have just hit to 12 feet and made my 7, but it’s one of those where, like, you feel like you can hit the shot, and so you try and execute it. I mean, we were in 40th place.” — J.T. Poston, PGA Tour player
- “Yeah, I mean, obviously, in hindsight, I would have just hit to 12 feet and made my 7, but it’s one of those where, like, you feel like you can hit the shot, and so you try and execute it.” — J.T. Poston, PGA Tour player
- “Nice bounce back par on 14.” — J.T. Poston, Twitter
Impact and Historical Context
The 12 on a single hole erased Poston’s momentum from a recent Memorial win and dropped him well out of contention. The score ties the modern PGA Tour record for the highest single-hole total since Pavon’s 12, underscoring the rarity of such a collapse among elite players.
What’s Next for the Tournament
The Travelers Championship will conclude with a playoff on Monday between Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler, who finished the regulation round tied at 21-under. Poston’s round serves as a cautionary episode amid the tournament’s dramatic finish.
