Robert Coles blows chance at first European Tour win with stunning collapse
Robert Coles didn't have anything in common with Greg Norman, Jean Van de Velde or Robert Garrigus at the start of this week. But after collapsing down the stretch at this week's European Tour event in India, he can now claim his rightful place next to some of the golf's biggest choke artists.
Coles, who led by two going into Sunday's final round, couldn't keep the wheels on down the stretch.
We've all been here before. You need a six on the final hole to break 80 for the first time in your life. After reaching the green in regulation, you five-putt from 25 feet. There goes that sub-80 round!
Robert Coles knows your pain. Needing only a birdie on the reachable 537-yard, par-5 18th to secure his first European Tour title, Coles bombed his drive and hit his second shot into the greenside rough. That's where things took a turn for the worse.
Coles bladed his chip 20 feet past the hole, leaving him with a lengthy birdie putt to win. He then proceeded to blow the putt eight feet past the hole, leaving him with a putt to force a playoff. But he missed the comebacker for par, losing the tournament by one shot. Yikes.
It was the type of cringe-worthy moment that makes you realize there are no gimmies in this sport. No matter how easy the next shot looks, there's always a chance you'll completely blow the shot, and the next one, and possibly the one after that.
Hopefully Coles drowns his sorrows in a pint and learns from this epic collapse. If the pain of defeat hasn't sunk in yet, it definitely will tomorrow.
