Jon Rahm unlocked on the 5th green of the BMW championship when he incurred a penalty following a freak rules crash
In a week when the pars felt like a bird, Jon Rahm really could have done without this careless drop in focus in the BMW championship.
With a long putt birdie on 5 at Olympia Fields during the second event of the 2020 FedEx Cup playoffs, Rahm inexplicably picked up his ball before he scored it.
“I had my marker in my pocket, and for some reason I caught the ball thinking I had already marked it,” he explained. “I was thinking of someone else and something else or someone and I just took the ball without scoring it,” he added. “Simple as that. Once substituted, I took the penalty and moved on.
“I don’t know if the camera saw my face or not, but when I was just touching it off the ground, I knew it. And I looked at Adam (caddy Adam Hayes) and I froze. I didn’t know what happened, how it happened or how to proceed. That’s all I can say. “
Rule 14.1a, under Marking, Lifting and Cleaning the Ball, explains that a player must “place a ball marker just behind or next to their ball, or keep a stick on the ground just behind or next to their ball.”
He adds: “If you lift the ball without scoring its point, mark its spot incorrectly or make a stroke with a ball marker left in place, you get a penalty shot.”
The Spaniard got to one meter and eighty before saving his bugbear.
“I’m proud to be able to maintain my composure afterwards,” added Rahm, who went on to shoot a round on day 66. “The biggest hit of the round was that second putt, the six foot bogeyman. Technically it helped a lot, as I was able to tell myself I was 1 below average through five holes.
“I can’t really give you an explanation. It’s one of those things that happens in golf. I never thought it would happen in my professional career, but here we are.
“I’ve seen things like this happen many, many times, but we don’t see them on the PGA Tour and it’s not usually followed by a 66 on this golf course.
“I just hope I don’t miss out for one. And if I do, it’s my fault too. It’s that simple.”
It all went well for Rahm, who won his fifth PGA Tour title thanks to a stunning play-off putt that has to be seen to be believed.
It’s not the first time Rahm has been involved in a rules crash this season. He was hit with a controversial two-stroke penalty as he headed for Memorial victory and first place in the world.
Have you ever seen something like this on the golf course? Let us know in the comments below or you can tweet us.
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