By all appearances, Will McGee had a fantastic week at the PNC Championship. During a practice round on Wednesday, he improbably aced the par-3 fourth at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando. Then after the conclusion of play on Sunday, the 12-year-old then became the focus of one of the feel-good golf interviews of the year, bringing his mother, 10-time major-winner Annika Sorenstam, and thousands of American golf fans to tears.
But with Monday comes reality and reality can be a real S.O.B. McGee experienced that firsthand when he went from the heights of cloud nine to the pits of middle-school misery in less than 24 hours.
McGee’s father Mike shared the darkly humorous (and painfully relatable) image to Twitter on Monday. As anyone who ever had braces can tell you, nothing refilled the teenage angst reservoirs like that monthly twist of the mouth cage. It’s a rite of passage—you come out the other side scoffing at whatever cruel joke life throws at you next—but that doesn’t mean it’s a good time along the way.
That said, sore gums seem like a small price to pay for a perfect weekend playing nationally televised golf on an immaculate course with your loved ones by your side. Most folks go their whole lives without ever experiencing anything like that, so soak it up, Will … and maybe stick to soft foods for the next few hours.
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