Augusta, GA … American Billy Horschel could feel hard done by but then he would know more than anything that there’s a rule in golf called ‘Rub of the Green’.

And the former FedEx Cup champ had to ‘cop it sweet’, despite all his antics and calling for a rules official, when when his ball blew off the green into a water hazard at the 15th green on day three of the Masters.

The 29-year old was a cruel victim of the bright but extremely windy conditions in the 80th staging of the Master.

“I didn’t have my scuba gear’ says American Billy Horschel in seeing his ball blown off the 15th green (Photo: Jae C. Hong)

Horschel reached the 15th in two shots and went through the process of cleaning his ball ahead of an eagle putt.

But no sooner had the three-time PGA winner replaced his ball, and the wind grabbed his Titleist and with Horschel looking on in dismay to then see the ball roll down the slope and into the water hazard.

However while Horschel’s no doubt had the luck in the past of having his ball being ‘blown’ closer to the hole in other scenarios, not on this occasion.

He did call for a rules official but what was advised what he already knew.

“I didn’t have my scuba gear to play it from the water,” joked Florida-born Horschel, who bogeyed the hole en route to a 73 and a four-over 220 total.

“The course is on a fine line. A big old gust came through, my ball was a foot or two from a false front, and it started rolling and the wind kept pushing it to the false front and it went in the water.

“It’s bad luck. Nothing like that has ever happened to me like that in the past that I can remember. It’s not the rules officials’ fault, it’s not Augusta’s fault, it’s nobody’s fault for that happening.”

Even so, the three-times PGA Tour winner admitted he “expressed some frustration” to the rules official on the scene.

As for the golfing Gods, Horschel has a message.

“I think they owe me one,” he said.