What happened to a go-around with like enough fuel to go to an alternate and a hold for 30 minutes before landing?
They still had enough. Plenty of fuel to reach some alternates. The "minimum fuel" call is made way
before any option is lost and things get tight. Imagine an airport having to close unexpectedly (debris on the runway etc) - it'd be a bit late then for a pilot to notify ATC about being low on fuel, with no alternate options remaining...
To put things into perspective, here's some numbers from an operator's manual of another airline (737-300 though):
Recommended fuel on arrival (on ground):
8300lbsMinimum fuel:
6300lbs (anything below: tell ATC, ask for no delay...)
Fuel contingency for alternate:
2000lbs / 20minutesAs a rough estimate, 6000lbs are about enough for another 60minutes of cruise flight...