Nick Watney penalised two-shots after getting angry in a hazard
A little rules reminder today courtesy of an angry PGA Tour player.
Nick Watney was playing good golf once again last week and found himself towards the top of the leaderboard going into the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship. At the second hole, everything went pear shaped.
Watney played two shots to find himself 30 metres from the pin on the par-5 second. His chip shot flew the green into a hazard.
Watney’s shot hit a rock and stayed in the hazard. In frustration he slammed his club into the ground, in the hazard. This is a two-shot penalty for grounding your club while your ball is still in the hazard.
He then took a further one-shot penalty, played a shot from back on the fairway 100 metres away and three putted for an 11, moving from 8-under for the round to 2-under.
Incidentally he was not aware of the two-shot penalty for grounding his club in the hazard until the 10th hole when tour officials told him of the infringement.
Let’s all learn from this. It is of course very wise to keep your cool at all times on a golf course, but losing it in a hazard can be even more costly.
very interesting. has happened before in bunkers but haven’t seen in water hazard. however why is it 11 ? he played 2 to there, played two more (one that stayed in hazard + one 100 yards further back) and 3 putts = 7.
3 penalties (2 shots for grounding club and 1 for drop) = 10 ?
Anonymous has missed Watneys 4th shot from the hazard which struck the rock and came to rest back in the hazard. I nearly did too! Rule 26-2 is worth reading. Better still Decision 26-2/2
Yeah he played two and then his chip shot went into the hazard so the shot you see in the video was his fourth.
Easy to lose count!