RULES BLUNDER! European Ryder Cup hopeful docked stroke at Omega Masters

European Ryder Cup hopeful Alexander Bjork was given a one stroke penalty during the third round of the Omega Masters in Switzerland.

Ben Smith

02 Sep 2023

RULES BLUNDER! European Ryder Cup hopeful docked stroke at Omega Masters

European Ryder Cup hopeful Alexander Bjork was docked one penalty stroke during the third round of the Omega Masters.

The Swede, 33, is still just about in the hunt to claim victory in Switzerland but things could have been a whole lot worse.

Bjork hit an absolutely perfect drive down No. 4 at Crans-sur-Sierre. It's a beast of a hole, a par-4 measuring at 497 yards.

At the time he was three strokes behind 36-hole leader Matthew Fitzpatrick but surely was eyeing up an early birdie to apply some pressure.

Here's where things got interesting as the golfer decided to simply pick up his golf ball.

Under normal circumstances you might be thinking: What are you doing?!

But competitors were playing preferred lies over the first 36 holes. The rule was changed for the third round and Bjork simply forgot.

What a nightmare! Still, Bjork didn't appear too flustered with the situation and duly accepted his one stroke penalty with minimal fuss.

Incredibly, Bjork then went on to get up and down from the middle of the fairway to salvage a par-4. Just your average 172-yard up-and-down.

Then he went on to make birdie at the very next hole, draining a bomb from across the green.

Luke Donald warned

The is the final week of Ryder Cup qualifying and a number of players are jockeying for position to claim the final spot in Luke Donald's European side.

The aforementioned Matthew Fitzpatrick looks set to qualify via the world points list.

Elsewhere, Robert MacIntyre tightened his grip on the remaining spot on the European points list but as many as six others were hoping to snatch it from his grasp.

One man who looks like he'll be included is the young Swede Ludvig Aberg.

England's Eddie Pepperell reckons it would be controversial if he were to be chosen.

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