Recently, a gentleman attracted considerable attention after executing a shot from the street outside St. Andrews onto the golf course, generating unfavourable reactions on social media and among the staff at the course.
The St. Andrews Links Trust issued a statement, condemning the man’s actions as irresponsible and reckless, demonstrating a lack of consideration for public safety and property. The Trust underscored that such behaviour is unwelcome at the Home of Golf, and discouraged others from following suit.
Moreover, it was highlighted that the man was imitating a shot originally made by Erik Anders Lang in a YouTube video released about a year ago. This act garnered significant attention, with Erik recreating the shot based on a story he had heard about Ernie Els doing the same thing.
In response, the individual responsible, Wyatt Mesmer, declared that he has been prohibited from St. Andrews. He shared this update on his Instagram account and has commenced selling t-shirts related to the viral shot.
Moving on to the LPGA Shoprite Classic, a rare occurrence unfolded during the first round when player Nasa Hataoka was disqualified due to her golf ball being found after the three-minute time limit had expired. This situation arose when Hataoka hit her ball into the fescue of the 9th hole, which was her 18th.
The LPGA Tour released a statement, clarifying that Hataoka’s ball was located after the search time had expired. According to the Rules, the player must proceed under stroke and distance, and when Hataoka did not play from where she had previously played, she was found to have played from the wrong place, resulting in her disqualification. Her score of 65 for round one would have remained had it not been for this incident.
During the LIV Houston event, there was some scrutiny regarding an incident involving professional golfer Brooks Koepka. In his first round, Koepka found the water left of the green at the par 5 fourth, and upon reviewing video footage, his drop was deemed as slightly questionable.
It was observed that Koepka had already attempted to drop the ball several times, which ultimately affected the way he had to place the ball for the drop. As per the rules, if the player tries to replace a ball but it does not stay on its original spot, they must try again and place the ball on the nearest spot where it will stay at rest. Failure to do so results in a two-stroke penalty, which impacted Koepka’s performance on that particular hole.
Last week, an awkward moment occurred during an on-course interview at the Korn Ferry Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am, when an interviewer mistakenly believed she was speaking to former Texas Longhorn and NFL quarterback Vince Young. Contrary to her assumption, the man was actually Everette Sands, a football coach from The Citadel.
Despite the mix-up, Sands good-naturedly clarified the error and went on to respond to the questions posed to him, making the interview a memorable and unexpected exchange.
In conclusion, the recent events in the world of golf have highlighted the importance of adhering to the rules and upholding the integrity of the sport. As players continue to make headlines, it is crucial to uphold the values and regulations that define the game.
Man Barred from St. Andrews after Reckless Act on Golf Course
