PONTE VEDRA BEACH ” Anthony Kim survived the second round of The Players Friday as well as a scare on the eighth hole.
From a turtle.
As Kim and playing partner Boo Weekley were walking off the tee at the par three, there was a soft-shell turtle basking in the sun. Kim began to touch the turtle with his wedge.
Weekley stepped up behind Kim and made a noise that caused the turtle to pop his head out, scaring the heck out of Kim.
“He jumped and backed up real fast,” Weekley said. “I got him pretty good with that turtle.”
Kim went on to finish with a 70 and is four-under for the tournament.
“I didn’t know if it was a snapping turtle or anything like that,” said Kim, who grew up in California. “I don’t know much about wildlife and I know he does so when he yelled at me he scared me pretty good. I think that’s why we both missed five-footers on the hole.”
There was big news on another par three Friday morning when Robert Garrigus, who ended up missing the cut at 11-over par, made a hole-in-one on the 13th.
“I was joking around trying to chuck stuff in the garbage and not really paying attention,” he said. “Got up, slapped an 8-iron right at it and it ended up going in. It was kind of a shock. It was number nine for me. I’ve had a bunch go in, but none cooler than that.”
