Golf’s rulebook threw everyone for a loop at the Arnold Palmer Invitational when Wyndham Clark found himself in a bizarre situation that had fans and commentators scratching their heads.
The former US Open champ hit what looked like a perfect drive down the middle of the fairway on the par-4 third hole Friday. But when he walked up to his ball, things got interesting.
His ball was sitting in a pitch mark – and that’s where the confusion started.
Here’s the weird part: Clark was allowed to take a free drop because it was his own pitch mark. If it had been someone else’s, he would’ve had to play it as it lay.
The PGA Tour’s rules officials had to step in after social media lit up with questions about the ruling. After reviewing the video footage, they confirmed Clark was in the right.
"The ball returned to its own pitch mark, which entitled Clark to free relief," the PGA Tour Rules Committee stated.
The slow-motion replay tells the story: Clark’s drive hit the fairway, bounced up in the air, and landed right back in the crater it had just created. Talk about a one-in-a-million shot.
If the ball had rolled into someone else’s old pitch mark? That would’ve been tough luck – and potentially a rules violation if he’d taken relief.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this kind of head-scratcher. Back in 2022, Paul Casey ran into similar trouble at The Players Championship. His ball found an old pitch mark in the fairway on the 16th hole during the final round. Since his ball hadn’t made that mark, he had to play it as it lay – a brutal break at a crucial moment.
It’s just another reminder that golf’s rules can be pretty complicated, even when you’re watching from your couch.
