“He got a mulligan”: Players slam controversial ruling during Asian Tour event

A major rules controversy at the Maekyung Open has left players furious, officials under scrutiny, and the outcome of the event overshadowed by confusion and frustration.

The incident centred on former champion Inhoi Hur during the third round at Namseoul Country Club, where a disputed tee shot on the seventh hole triggered a lengthy on-course investigation and ultimately a controversial ruling.

Hur’s drive appeared to drift out of bounds, leading him to play a provisional ball into the fairway. 

At the same time, a forecaddie, believing the original ball was OB, picked it up and passed it to another caddie. 

However, spectators — many supporting Hur — insisted the ball was in play, prompting a referee intervention. 

What followed was a prolonged delay as officials attempted to untangle conflicting accounts, with the group behind eventually called through. One eyewitness described the scene as “very animated,” with discussions lasting around 30 minutes. 

The chief referee ultimately ruled there was conflicting information and applied committee procedures section 6C(6), allowing Hur to continue temporarily with his provisional ball without penalty until a final decision was reached.

Critically, observers later argued the original ball should have been replaced and assessed before play continued.

Hur completed the hole with his provisional, signing for a par on his way to a third-round 69, leaving him just outside the top 10.

As the story broke, reaction from players — reported by Flushing It — was highly critical.

“It’s f***Ing bullshit. He basically got a mulligan,” said one player. 

Another said: “Obviously he got a mulligan. How is that possible?”

Concerns quickly escalated into accusations of unfairness and integrity issues.

One player said: “What kind of ruling is that? The guy keeping his score just signed his card? It’s just an integrity situation, as a player he should know it’s a bad ruling, but he just listened to the officials because it’s in his favour. He should be disqualified.”

Another source at the tournament described the entire incident as “very messy”.

Despite the controversy, Hur surged into contention with a bogey-free final round 64, briefly becoming clubhouse leader and putting himself into a potential three-way playoff.

But just as he was signing autographs and preparing for a potential return to the 18th tee, the Korean Golf Association rules team delivered a final verdict.

His original ball was ruled out of bounds, triggering a retrospective two-shot penalty. 

Hur's third-round 69 was amended to 71, dropping him to tied third and costing him a place in the playoff by two shots.

The decision sparked further confrontation between officials and Hur’s support group on-site.

Hur’s wife later took to Instagram to question the ruling and demand clarity, including video evidence.

One translated message read: “I won’t accept it. Are they just brushing over the fact the competition official lied?”

Amid the fallout, Minhyuk Song went on to win the playoff against Mingyu Cho, though the tournament will very much be remembered more for its rules controversy than its champion.