Golf's Nerves vs. Misread Debate
Colin Montgomerie attributes Lucas Herbert's missed historic putt to nerves, not a misread.
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Australian golfer Lucas Herbert came agonizingly close to golf history, missing a short putt that would have given him a 61 at a major championship. Herbert, 30, blamed a misread — but Scottish legend Colin Montgomerie isn't buying it, according to Ottawa Citizen.
Montgomerie, an eight-time European Order of Merit champion, says nerves caused the miss — not a technical error. The missed putt left Herbert joining four other players who have shot 62 at a major, falling just short of breaking the all-time record, according to National Post.
Herbert Says He Read the Putt Wrong
Herbert was on the par-5 17th hole — described as the easiest hole on the course — when he needed one more birdie to shoot 61. He hit the putt, but it didn't drop. Herbert stood by his explanation afterward, saying he hit a good putt but simply misread the break, according to Calgary Herald.
It was a painful moment. A score of 61 would have set a new major championship record. Instead, Herbert carded a 62, a score that has been matched by only four other players in major history, according to Vancouver Sun.
Montgomerie Blames Nerves, Not the Green
Montgomerie, 63, pushed back hard on Herbert's explanation. He said the putt was simply a poor putt — and the cause was nerves, not a bad read. Montgomerie suggested Herbert gripped the club too tightly under pressure, a classic sign of nerves on the course, according to Toronto Sun.
Montgomerie knows what pressure feels like. He won the European Order of Merit eight times and is now a golf history buff and Loch Lomond Whiskies ambassador. He was clear: the mistake came from inside Herbert's head, not from the slope of the green, according to Calgary Sun.
What a 61 Would Have Meant for Golf History
Shooting 61 at a major would have been a landmark moment. The lowest score ever recorded at a major championship is 62, a number Herbert matched but could not beat. The par-5 17th gave him his best chance — it is the easiest hole on the course — making the missed putt all the more gut-wrenching, according to National Post.
Herbert had played the round of his life to reach that point. One short putt stood between him and history. Whether nerves or a misread cost him, the result was the same: a record that stays intact, according to Chatham Daily News.
Nerves vs. Misread: A Debate That May Never Be Settled
The disagreement between Herbert and Montgomerie gets at something golfers argue about all the time: when a putt misses, is it the read or the stroke? Herbert insists the read was wrong. Montgomerie insists the stroke was wrong — caused by gripping too hard under pressure, according to Owen Sound Sun Times.
Both explanations protect something. A misread means the golfer did his job. A nervy stroke means the moment got to him. For Herbert, accepting Montgomerie's view would mean admitting the pressure was too much. That is a hard thing for any elite athlete to say out loud, according to The Observer.
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