Wyndham Clark’s Tee Shot Pops-Up & Lands In It’s Own Pitch-Mark Leaving ‘Experts’ Guessing

8 months ago by Comments Off on Wyndham Clark’s Tee Shot Pops-Up & Lands In It’s Own Pitch-Mark Leaving ‘Experts’ Guessing

American Wyndham Clark, and who led the opening round of the $US 20m Arnold Palmer Invitational, played a tee shot at the third hole in round two that had the ‘expert’ guessing.

Clark hit a drive that flew 306 yards on the 437-yard dogleg third where his ball hit the fairway, popped-up in the air, and came to rest what it was thought to be in his own pitch mark.

However the host TV broadcasters were soon wondering if the Wyndham’s ball had actually landed in some other players pitch-mark.

So, what do we do?  Well the PGA Tour’s Director of TV Rules and Videos, Rich Pierson was asked if he would speak on air about the proper ruling.

Pierson said something along the lines that if Clark’s ball was in a pitched mark created by another player, he would NOT be entitled to relief.

So when Clark’s ball was then shown with a clean lie, the result of him lifting his ball and dropped it near the original lie (which was not captured on camera), it was left unclear whether or not Clark had violated the embedded ball rule. Clark found the green with his second shot and two-putted from 40 feet for a par.

Still not certain of what transpired the Tour released a statement, this time from the PGA Tour Rules Committee stating:

After reviewing ShotLink video of Wyndham Clark’s tee shot on the third hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the PGA Tour Rules Committee determined that the ball returned to its own pitch mark, which entitled Clark to free relief.

Now we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

 

Clark added a second round one-under-par 71 to move to six-under and head to the clubhouse in second place, two shots adrift of Ireland’s Shane Lowry who posted a 67 to lead at eight-under.

 



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