Mackenzie Hughes Got the Luckiest Bounce Off a Rock

The Arnold Palmer Invitational is underway down at Bay Hill and the rough is looking especially thicc. Which means scoring chances will be few and far between and must be capitalized on when they arise. And one never knows when that will be because a golf ball is an unpredictable little thing, just going wherever the heck it wants to go.

Most of the time that means bad things but occasionally players benefit from good breaks. Sometimes they are simply incredibly lucky.

Like Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, who lined up a 162-yard shot on the par-4 No. 3 and didn't get all of it out of the lettuce. It appeared he'd be going swimming and drop at least one shot until his ball found a rock and chose to take a direct line toward the hole.

Sadly, Hughes missed his five-footer for birdie and had to settle for par. But it could have been worse. It should have been worse.

Anyone who knows the game understands he's due a devastatingly poor bit of luck to balance things out later. That's just the way it is.