Despite the chaos of the PGA today, there emerges an unexpected hero
Mark Hubbard on Friday at the 15th green of the Valhalla Golf Club.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Positioned to the right of the 7th green with his ball deeply embedded, he attempts to chip it towards a downhill flag nestled approximately 20 yards away. The shot falls short of his expectations as the ball overshoots and lands about 10 yards past the hole. Following a two-putt to secure par, he exchanges a glance with a familiar face and silently utters some colorful language.
A hole later, he finds himself with a 7-foot putt for birdie. He misses. Leaning forward over his putter, it’s as if he feels a sharp pain in his stomach – almost like the putter itself wounded him. After he finishes the hole with a par, he takes one last skeptical glance at the green, still convinced that the break he thought he saw wasn’t really there.
He also thinks that if he weren’t a golfer, he would already have moved to French Polynesia and be working as a bartender. That’s quite a picture.
He also uses a ‘snail’ putt technique. You’ve got to watch this, and you can in just a moment.
He also seemingly saw The police report regarding Scottie SchefflerHe questioned it and responded by calling himself fat.
And Mark Hubbard just might win this thing.
Who?
Some prelude is necessary, but be aware of this: On that particular day, PGA Championship chaos at Valhalla Golf Club In Louisville, Kentucky, an unexpected figure has risen to prominence, as surprising as it might seem—Hubbard. He possesses more zest than the local bourbon and delivers an equal impact.
He was needed. Early on Friday, the news took a dark turn: a tournament vendor had tragically lost their lives after being hit by a shuttle bus. Not long after, Scheffler was apprehended by Louisville police. Despite heavy traffic, he drove onto the course, ignored an officer’s instruction to stop, and continued driving, leading to an injury. Based on an incident report is set to confront four charges, although he ultimately came back to the course and hit a score of 66.
Serious situations. It didn’t matter. Before long, social media circulated the police report. It mentioned Scheffler was 6-foot-3 and weighed 170 pounds. Hubbard verified the height but not the weight. “There’s no freaking way Scottie only weighs 170… Damn it, I must be fat,” he said. HomelessHubbs posted on social mediaUpon arriving at the course by 6:30 PM on Friday, the idea had garnered more than 200,000 views.
Did he know it was spreading?
“No, no, no idea.”
“What prompted that to happen?”
“I saw the mug shot and the police report just like everyone else did,” Hubbard remarked. “It’s incredible that he managed to make his tee time and then went on to shoot a 66 after getting arrested. That just shows how well he’s playing. You simply can’t stop him at the moment. But yeah, I saw that and thought, ‘Scottie’s bigger than me; there’s no way he’s 170 pounds.’ I really need to start hitting the gym and stop eating my kids’ leftover mac and cheese.”
There’s no way Scottie only weighs 170 pounds… Wow, I’m overweight.
— Mark Hubbard (@HomelessHubbs) May 17, 2024
Funny.
The most amusing part about Hubbard is that he’s been playing impressively. During the first round of the PGA Championship on Thursday, he shot a six-under 65. On Friday, he continued his strong performance by birding the par-5 10th hole after hitting a wedge shot to 11 feet. He then birdied the par-4 12th hole by placing an iron shot within 10 feet.
On the par-5 18th hole, he hit a wedge shot to 7 feet and birdied again. The back nine was a bit messier: he parried the 1st hole, bogeyed the 2nd, birdied the 3rd and 4th, and bogeyed the 5th and 6th. The outcomes for the 7th and 8th holes are noted at the beginning of this story. However, he ended on a high note by birding the par-4 9th, his final hole, finishing with a three-under 68 and just a few strokes behind the leader.
His progress has been on an upward trajectory as well. Since turning professional in 2012, Hubbard has built an impressive career. He has earned $9 million in PGA Tour winnings and achieved thirteen top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, though he hasn’t yet secured a victory.
His closest call was a second-place finish at the 2019 Houston Open. However, this year, something seems to have clicked for the 34-year-old. He hasn’t missed a cut, participating in thirteen events and securing several third-place finishes. These kinds of breakthroughs are hard to predict, but they’re always welcome when they come.
“Yeah, it’s pretty much been one thing or another each week,” Hubbard said. “Some weeks I’ve driven the ball really well, other weeks my iron shots have been great, and sometimes my putting has been exceptional. I’m just waiting for that week where everything clicks. But I think it shows the hard work I’ve put in with my coach to make my overall game more consistent. Mentally, I feel like I’ve been in a good place too. So overall, it’s been a solid year, and like I mentioned, I’m hoping for a tournament where everything comes together.”
Certainly! Here’s the paraphrased paragraph: But there’s more to it than that. Hubbard is quite engaging. The content is fresh and unique, without any clichés.
There’s the matter of French Polynesia. It’s mentioned in Hubbard’s profile. On the PGA Tour’s official website, where it reads:
“If he weren’t a professional golfer, he would likely move to Bora Bora, start a Tiki bar, and vanish from mainstream life.”
Really?
“Just take a look at this weather,” Hubbard remarked, mentioning the rain, muddy, and sunless day in Louisville. “That seems quite appealing at the moment, doesn’t it?”
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There’s also the ‘snail’ move. That’s what he refers to a technique he’s executed a few times with his putter. It’s something that can’t be put into words, though.Aa GOLF.com story once trie .
To do the Snail like him:
You grip the putter using your left hand.
You shuffle your feet.
You stretch your right arm straight out to the side, level with your shoulders.
You also stretch out your pinky finger.
You begin to rotate your body, moving your right arm in a circular motion in front of you, as you squat down.
You hold the putter just above its head with your right pinky, all while keeping yourself bent over.
You putt!
Below is a video:
Well, this is a new one. 🤷♂️ #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/5Ufc6mb0F4
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 22, 2021
Which begs a question:
“If you win or have a significant lead on Sunday, will we get to see the Snail?”
“We definitely won’t,” said Hubbard. “In fact, for the last two tournaments, I’ve been using a long putter, which means I have to bend down even more. With my 35th birthday coming up next week, I’m not too keen on getting that low to the ground.”
That’s alright. Achieving triumph from the unlikely ruler amid a chaotic day has been gratifying. However, a victory would be remarkable. It would mark his first win at the age of 34, after 12 years as a professional.
Here’s another story. Another revelation about Hubbard. This one might reveal the most about him.
On Friday, his press conference concluded with an interaction initiated by a reporter:
“What would it mean if you won on Sunday?”
“Absolutely, winning an opposite field event would be fantastic, not to mention a major,” Hubbard remarked. “However, at the end of the day, my life is incredible. I have a wonderful family and two amazing kids. This morning, I got to sleep in for an extra hour and spend some time in bed playing with stuffed animals with my eldest daughter. That’s what truly matters.”
“It’s amazing to be here and feel like I can genuinely compete. While it’s my job—a job I’m deeply passionate about and truly care for—it has mainly impacted my bank account, without making much of a difference in other areas.”
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Nick Piastowski serves as a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. His duties include editing, writing, and creating content focused on golf. Outside of his professional writings on improving golf shots, the Milwaukee local can often be found on the course himself, where his shots might veer left, right, or fall short. He enjoys a cold beer afterward to make up for his performance. Feel free to contact him about his articles, his golfing experience, or his beer preferences at [email protected].
