A fan was spotted immediately regretting his decision to bizarrely catch Brandt Snedeker’s tee shot at the Zurich Classic.
During the third day of the PGA Tour’s unique team event, Snedeker and Chez Reavie teeed off in the four-ball round.
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On the ninth hole, the 43-year-old sent his first shot well wide of his target and shouted “Straight!” » to the bosses.
The ball then landed above the fans to the right of the fairway and bounced before appearing ready to end up beyond the cart path.
At least, that was until a fan decided to catch the ball!
He stepped back and grabbed it after the bounce, turning back to his group of friends before instantly letting go.
Another customer could be heard shouting: “No! No! No!”
And the man put his hand to his mouth in disbelief at what he had just done, realizing his mistake.
He stood around the ball for a few seconds, biting his nails over the fact that he had just interfered with the play and potentially impacted Snedeker and Reavie’s holeshot.
A commentator on ESPN joked: “It’s all good. He’s a kid who plays a lot of baseball. He just forgot!
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In the end, everything was fine for the fan since Snedeker was actually in a better position than he would have been if he hadn’t caught him!
This was due to a little-known rule that comes into play if this rare event occurs on the course.
According to the USGA Rules of Golf, Rule 11.1a states: “If a player’s moving ball accidentally touches a person (including the player) or an outside influence, there is no penalty. »
So, as Snedeker’s ball was not at rest, there was no punishment for him, and Reavie took the next shot from where the fan dropped it.
Which was a better result, as the tee shot was intended to travel much further from the fairway.
Snedeker and Reavie managed to reach par at the ninth despite this interference and finished the eighth round under.
This score left them last in the standings heading into the final day of the Zurich Classic with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry among the leading challengers.
