Belgian bomber Nicolas Colsaerts saw his Volvo World Match-Play defence flushed down the toilet following a bizarre incident on day three of the event in Bulgaria.
Graeme McDowell, and Colsaerts Ryder Cup winning colleague, exacted revenge after losing last year’s final to the Brussels golfer with a 2 & 1 victory on the spectacular Thracian Cliffs course.
However Colsaerts was left lamenting the incident at the short par four, 10th hole the furthest most point of the Black Sea shoreline course.
Exclusive Photo – Nicolas Colsaerts laughing with Rules official, Mark Litton about having to take ‘relief’ inside a toilet block. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
Colsaerts drive was left off the tee and flew a small stone toilet block located close to the green and into a staked hazard behind the toilet block.
As the toilet block was actually within the line of a red-staked lateral hazard and as Colsaerts ball had crossed the hazard over the toilet block under Rule 26 he was advised by Tour Referee, Mark Litton, that he had ‘go through the motions’ of taking a one stroke penalty drop within the toilet cubicle.
But while it was impossible for Colsaerts to play from within the toilet, under Rule 24-2 he could take ‘free’ relief from an immovable obstruction (toilet block) that he did on route to saving par.
However the incident unfolded bringing uncontrolled laughter to those present and tears to the eyes of TV commentators.
McDowell looked laughing and singing out: “Is he doing a No. 1 or a No. 2 in there?”
Colsaerts, who managed to save par and half the hole with McDowell, ended his round fearing the whole episode will become a You Tube smash hit.
“I don’t recall the last time I ever scored a half in match-play from under a toilet seat,” said McDowell.
“I sort out came out it smelling like roses because I soon birdied two holes in a row to give Graeme something to think about but in the end he was a little too good.
“I’m sure now the whole episode at 10 is going to make all the TV news programs, Face Book and all the social media sites with the caption: ‘Here’s some Belgium guy playing golf in some toilet block in Bulgaria.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever hit a ball into a toilet block and you would have thought as a kid I would have been crazy enough to practice that shot (smiling) but I never did.”
McDowell, who now won all four of his matches, will play South African Branden Grace in this morning’s (SUN) and then look in the afternoon to become the first-ever Irish born winner in the 50th year of the event.
“This is an historic event and it’s a trophy that has all the legends of the game appearing on it,” said McDowell.
“I think back to the golden years around Wentworth and watching all of my heroes winning this great, great tournament and I would be dearly love to add my name to that list but there is three other guys still left in the event who also feel the same way as I do.”
Glaswegian Scott Jamieson, and the last remaining Scot, was bundled out by pint-size Thongchai Jaidee with the Thai golfer winning 4 & 3.
Jamieson, who had knocked Chilean Felipe Aguilar out earlier in the day, won the first but from there on was never ahead in his match against the triple Asian Tour No.1.
Nicolas Colsaerts, with his mother looking on (left of pic) taking a drop under Rule 24/2 at the 10th hole during his match with Graeme McDowell( Excusive Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
The former Thai paratrooper won three holes in succession from the third and went 4up with back-to-back birdies from the 11th.
Jamieson was in trouble off the tee at the 14th and with Jaidee having two putts from 15-feet to win his fourth straight match after earlier in the day taking out Sweden’s double Ryder Cup winning Peter Hanson at the third extra hole.
“It’s been a good week but of course, I’m disappointed to go out of the event,” said Jamieson.
“But Thongchai just played a lot better than I did. He holed the putts to save par when he had to and when he looking like he was in a bit of trouble he holed some good saving putts.
“And if there was a turning point it was at the 10th hole as I had won the ninth to go back to 2 down, and then at 10 I hit it to about four feet and he was about 30-feet away and holed his putt for a half.
“I was hoping I could get back to 1 down but then he went and birdied 11 and 12, and that really was all she wrote.”
