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To earn a spot on the prestigious PGA Tour, one must possess exceptional golfing skills. However, even the most talented players are not immune to difficult days on the course. And in the case of Mike Reasor, it could be argued that he had a particularly rough time.
Reasor, a relatively unknown figure in the golfing world, spent nearly a decade on the PGA Tour after turning professional in 1969. Despite not winning a single tournament before retiring in 1978, he did manage to finish in the top ten on ten occasions. While his longevity on the circuit should not be overlooked, there are many other golfers with similarly unremarkable records who have been forgotten by history.
Nevertheless, Reasor will always have a claim to fame thanks to an event that took place during the 1974 Tallahassee Open. In April of that year, Reasor traveled to Florida with hopes of victory. However, he also had an additional incentive to simply make the cut, as doing so would secure his place in the upcoming Byron Nelson Classic at Preston Trail Golf Club.
After the first round, Reasor found himself in the same position he started, having posted an even par of 72. Unfortunately, he failed to improve on this score the following day, shooting another 72. While he was not in contention for the win, he could at least take comfort in knowing he had secured a spot in the Byron Nelson.
However, fate had other plans for Reasor. On Friday night, he decided to go horseback riding with a friend during his free time. Tragically, his horse collided with a tree, resulting in a separated shoulder, bruised ribs, and ligament damage in his knees. With such severe injuries, Reasor had no business playing golf the next day. But withdrawing from the tournament would mean forfeiting the exemption he had earned by making the cut, as the rules required him to complete all four rounds.
In a remarkable display of determination, Reasor decided to proceed with the tournament. His strategy? Using only a five-iron and playing every shot with one hand, except for putts. This unconventional approach led to a disastrous score of 51-over 123 on Saturday. In the final round, he managed to improve slightly, shaving nine strokes off his previous day’s total for a score of 114. In the end, Reasor finished the Tallahassee Open with a cumulative score of +93, the highest ever recorded at a PGA Tour event.
Unfortunately, all of Reasor’s efforts were in vain. His injuries prevented him from participating in the following week’s Byron Nelson Classic, and he needed approximately a month to fully recover.
According to the Source brobible.com