Sahith Theegala referred to as a penalty on himself Saturday.
NBC Sports activities
Even on video replay, it’s powerful to inform if Sahith Theegala touched the sand in a bunker Saturday at East Lake, however he’s apparently fairly sure he did.
After hitting his tee shot on the 4th gap of the third spherical on the Tour Championship Saturday, Theegala referred to as over a PGA Tour guidelines official to inform him he believed he touched the sand whereas enjoying his method from a fairway bunker a gap earlier.
After Theegala and the official mentioned for a second, PGA Tour lead TV guidelines and video analyst Mark Dusbabek got here on the NBC broadcast to substantiate Theegala was accessed a two-stroke penalty for breaking Rule 12.2b.
“He feels that he touched the sand on his final gap when he was taking his backswing,” Dusbabek stated. “It’s a penalty should you contact the sand whereas your ball is within the sand. We’ve got affirmation that he feels that he did, so it’s going to be a two-shot penalty for him.”
That is the primary occasion held on the newly renovated East Lake and NBC analyst Brad Faxon was fast to level out Theegala was near the lip of the primary right-hand fairway bunker on three.
“So he was making an attempt to hit a shot that he needed to hit up within the air,” Faxon stated. “Numerous instances, you set a little bit bit extra weight again in your proper foot and the takeaway could be decrease due to that.
“That stinks and that’s fairly cool that he would admit it as a result of nobody else would have seen it.”
After the spherical, Theegala recounted his viewpoint of the occasions.
“I used to be within the bunker, took my backswing, and to offer context, I by way of it within the bunker proper on the lip; ball rolled up the lip and got here again proper on prime of the place it pitched. So it was a really uncommon lie. It was teed up within the sand. It was a very nice lie,” he stated. “So it was an uncommon lie, and I normally choose up the membership and take it again, however due to the lie, proper on my backswing I felt like I moved just a few grains of sand for certain. In my peripheral, I believed I noticed a few of the sand transfer as I took my backswing.
“Instantly after I hit it— I hit it, nice contact, nice shot, talked to Xander about it. I used to be like, ‘Hey, dude, I believe I moved some sand whereas I hit that shot,’ and we thought that it was no huge deal as a result of there was no intent, didn’t really feel like— it didn’t really change the lie in any respect.
“However sadly the rule is it doesn’t matter the intent.”
Theegala had simply made a 25-foot putt at No. 2 to get to 13 beneath, in solo 4th and 7 pictures behind Scottie Scheffler within the race for the Tour Championship and $25 million FedEx Cup titles. After the ruling, his par on the third gap was modified to a double bogey and he dropped again to 11 beneath, in a tie for fifth.
Smylie Kauffman reported Theegala slammed his water bottle on the bottom in frustration after getting the ruling.
After Theegala ultimately performed his method to the 4th gap, the NBC group took a slow-mo, zoomed-in take a look at Theegala’s bunker shot at No. 3 and none may determine the place Theegala touched the sand.
“I don’t see a lot there,” analyst Kevin Kisner stated. “I’d be arguing with [Dusbabek] once I obtained finished. Give me my two pictures again.”
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That’s when NBC introduced Dusbabek again on to substantiate that it was Theegala himself who self-reported the infraction. Self-reporting penalties is nothing new in golf, a collegiate participant self-reported fixing aeration marks in a U.S. Open qualifier final yr (This author self-reported inadvertently transferring a ball in an novice qualifier this previous spring). Nevertheless it’s a rarity on the PGA Tour the place cameras and spectators witness each single shot.
“He is aware of, I assume the man is aware of,” stated Dan Hicks. “I assume he felt it and knew that he had finished it.”
After the group took one other take a look at Theegala’s whole time over the ball, Kisner agreed.
“The hitter at all times is aware of,” the analyst who continues to be considerably lively on the PGA Tour. “You understand when it’s going to be brief. You understand when it’s going to be lengthy and should you brush that sand. He felt like he may really feel the sand alongside the membership when he took it again.”
Dusbabek confirmed that officers would focus on the incident with Theegala once more after the spherical and present him the video. However officers approached Theegala once more about half-hour later after he walked off the sixth tee.
Regardless of some followers close to Theegala when he performed No. 3 telling him they didn’t see him contact the sand, the Tour found video proof proving Theegala’s declare.
“Whenever you see the video, there’s a ridge of sand, proper behind the ball, that you could see has been taken away when he takes his backswing,” Dusbabek stated.
It is a creating story and can be up to date as extra info turns into obtainable.
