Brian Harman was cruising around the Pete Dye Stadium Course Thursday at The American Express when the round started to unravel. The major champion was two under standing in the middle of the par-4 10th fairway and hit an approach shot to inside 10 feet.
The 39-year-old lefty was that close to what he thought would move him to three under in California.
But he discovered that he did not hit the proper ball from the middle of the fairway. He hit the ball of his amateur playing partner which was only a few feet away. Add two strokes!
So Harman then hit his approach with his original ball from 122 yards to 14 feet and two putted for a dreaded double bogey. He thought he was staring at a 3, walked off with a 6.
Rule 6.3c(1) says, “the player gets the general penalty (two strokes) and must correct the mistake by continuing play with the original ball by playing it as it lies or taking relief under the rules.” The stroke made with the wrong ball and any more strokes before the mistake is corrected do not count.
Harman was clearly bothered by the whole circumstance and it crept into the next hole, the par-5 11th where he made another double bogey after he hit his second shot into the water, dropped, failed to hit the green then did not get up and down. Ultimately he shot one-over 73 and well down near the bottom of the leaderboard.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
