When you’re a young tour pro still finding your way, just making the cut in a PGA Tour event is a huge accomplishment. You’ll do whatever it takes to make the weekend. For 23-year-old Drew Nesbitt, that included getting half naked on Friday at the Honda Classic.
Nesbitt, who was one of the four players to earn a spot via the Monday qualifier, is playing in just his second career PGA Tour event at PGA National. The southpaw from Canada opened with a one-over 71, a strong score for just about anybody who is playing Jack Nicklaus’ Champion Course for the first time in competition. He’s followed it up with another impressive round on Friday, playing his first 14 holes in even par. With the cut line currently at two over, Nesbitt couldn’t afford any blowups late in his round.
But he nearly did blow up at the par-4 sixth, his 15th hole of the day, where there is water all the way down the left side of the fairway. Nesbitt’s 308-yard drive leaked to the left, but must have hit land first and rolled down into the drink. Luckily for Nesbitt, it was just barely in, and the ball was not fully submerged. Also, the fact that he’s a lefty came in handy, allowing him to not only have a stance, but keep his golf shoes on. His shirt, however, came off, revealing his A+ farmer’s tan. The pants stayed on, though he did roll them up to his knees. As for the shot, it was pretty damn good:
It didn’t reach the green, but it left him with just 50 yards left to the pin, and Nesbitt was able to hit his third shot to three feet and make a clutch par save to stay at one over, safely inside the cut line. He did bogey the par-4 eighth to fall to two over, but he finished with a par on his final hole, which gets him to the weekend. Looks like stripping down paid off in a big way.
Nesbitt joins Henrik Stenson and Shawn Stefani on the list of most memorable shirtless moments in golf history. He was the only one of the trio that kept his pants on, and we think everybody watching is thankful for that. If you recognize Nesbitt’s name, that’s because he carded the first 59 in the history of the PGA Tour Latinoamerica at the Brazil Open this past September. Incredibly, he did it after posting a first-round 79 for a whopping 20 shot swing. He eventually tied for 49th.