30-03-2025
Eagle, eagle, albatross!: Tag Ridings recalls his magical nine holes in 2005 American Express
Tag Ridings smiled when asked about his play in the 2005 American Express, then the Bob Hope Classic, and said every two months or so someone asks him to recount that record-setting day.
Ridings' third round that week at Tamarisk Country Club in Rancho Mirage, one of four courses in the desert tournament that year, is still in the record books. Ridings is the only golfer in tour history to have two eagles and a double eagle in a single round, and he did it in just nine holes.
It's a round Ridings, in contention this week at the Galleri Classic after a 9-under 63 on Saturday, remembers well.
'You know, we played so many courses in that Hope out here, you say, 'oh, I don't remember this course or that course, I only played one year,' ' Ridings said. 'I only played Tamarisk one year. It's had been off the rotation for a little while.'
Playing the back nine at Tamarisk as his opening nine of the day, Ridings started the historic run with a 2-iron from 256 yards on the par-5 12th that found the hole for the rare albatross. Later, Ridings made eagles on the par-4 17th from the fairway and then the par-5 18th.
"Of course, I can remember certainly every hole on that nine,' Ridings said. 'And I remember most of the holes on that back just because of the strangeness of the round."
Despite being 7 under on those three holes, Ridings managed only a 6-under 66 on that day.
'I recount the fact that I had a double eagle and two eagles in nine holes, but I also had five three-putts in 10 holes,' Ridings laughed.
Ridings followed the record round with a fourth-round 76 (the event was five days and 90 holes at the time) and missed the cut.
