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PGA Tour Golfer Has Complete Meltdown During Rocket Classic on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sahil Goswami | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 4:09 PM ET

The Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club has already delivered some low scores and high drama. After round one, South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter and America’s Kevin Roy shared the lead thanks to record-breaking 10-under-par 62s. Australia’s Min Woo Lee and Patrick Cantlay also got off to hot starts, but with the cut line hovering around 5-under, pressure mounted heading into Friday’s second round.

That pressure boiled over for Stephan Jaeger. The 36-year-old German, who began the day at two-under, found himself fighting to stay in the tournament. Things took a turn at the par-5 fourth hole when Jaeger hit a wayward 342-yard drive that went so far left, even ShotTracking struggled to locate it.

Frustrated, he let loose in true “Happy Gilmore” fashion, furiously smashing his club into the ground three times. PGA Tour Live caught the moment, remarking, “No surprise, Stephan Jaeger plenty of power here… and a lot of frustration.”

But here’s the twist—Jaeger channeled that anger into a highlight. After his meltdown, he hit a remarkable recovery shot, stuck his third to within six feet, and rolled in the birdie. That lifted him to three-under at the time, just one off the projected cut.

Stephan Jaeger is FURIOUS

pic.twitter.com/oJG60ZPsOY
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 27, 2025

His rollercoaster round didn’t stop there. After a couple of bogeys on 8 and 9, and another at 13, Jaeger bounced back with birdies on 14 and 17 to finish even for the day, staying at two-under overall.

Despite the meltdown, Jaeger has shown flashes this season, including a win in Houston last year and a top-five finish. His playing partner Jake Knapp’s girlfriend, Makena White, even defended him online.

Presently, Chris Kirk and Philip Knowles are sharing the top spot. With the weekend on it's way, fans must get to see more about the ups and downs in Classic. Sometimes, even a meltdown leads to a mini-miracle.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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