Golf fans BLAST "ridiculous and unnecessary" bunker ruling on DP World Tour
"Ridiculous ruling, sort of thing that gets golf a bad name," says one fan.
Golf fans are up in arms on social media after witnessing a unique rules incident play out in the bunker during the second round of the Indian Open.
The golf balls of playing partners Shubhankar Sharma and Gavin Green collided in a greenside bunker on the par-5 8th.
Green's ball had moved three inches away from its original spot after Sharma's ball struck it when it also rolled into the sand.
A DP World Tour rules official got Green to mark the original spot where his ball had come to rest in the bunker, and then he received a club length away without a penalty stroke from that spot in order to let Sharma play his bunker shot.
Green was also able to rake the spot before putting his ball back.
When moving his ball away from Sharma's ball, Green had to pick out a line behind the bunker in order to move his ball back to the correct place.
This is what you would normally do if your marker was in front of your playing partner's on the putting green.
They all got there in the end though, but it certainly took some time to sort out as you can see from the video clip below:
What's the ruling for when two balls collide in a bunker?
Find out here #HIO2023 pic.twitter.com/rDcPcuz06H
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) February 24, 2023
It's fair to say the ruling angered a number of golf fans on DP World Tour's Instagram page.
Both players failed to get up and down for a birdie and they recorded par 5s.
Green and Sharma find themselves on 2-under par for 36 holes.
That is eight shots behind runaway leader Yannick Paul.
Here's a pick of the comments:
"Ridiculous ruling, such a waste of time."
"This is so unnecessary!! No wonder golf is so hard to explain to non golfers!"
"I like golf but these rulings are just ridiculous."
"Ridiculous ruling, sort of thing that gets golf a bad name."
"Waste of time, pick it up, play it, put it back."
"The official really overcomplicated that situation."
"Zzzzzzzzzz."
"What an absolute waste of time."
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