Charl Schwartzel was handed a one-shot penalty after a fish ate his golf ball during a LIV Golf tournament, leaving pundits and fans astonished.
Unusual incident on the seventh hole
The South African was competing in the LIV Golf Bedminster event at Trump National Golf Club. On the seventh hole, his drive rolled towards the water after hitting the green. As soon as it entered the water, a fish jumped up and claimed the ball, leaving Schwartzel without it.
One commentator covering the action said: “I have never seen that.” Fans quickly took to social media to react to the bizarre situation.
Social media reactions
“Fish swallowing a golf ball is a new one.. liv golf is taking us places we've never been before,” one fan posted. Another asked: “What’s the rule on this one?”
Another fan questioned: “A fish steals a golf ball! Seriously this has to be a first. It’s in a hazard, but also may have been playable. Can he replace it in the hazard since it is animal interference? Or since it’s a hazard, too bad?”
Penalty and result
Despite the questions, Schwartzel was given a one-shot penalty, which meant he recorded a bogey on the par-three hole and finished the tournament two over par.
Before the tournament, Schwartzel had spoken about the course's challenges, though he likely didn't anticipate fish being part of them. “It’s a great golf course,” he told SABC Sport. “It’s a golf course that will also suit Martin (Vosrster, his teammate), as he is a long hitter. It’s a very long golf course and it can be windy, as it’s quite exposed. What we’ve found in the past is it seems to suit the long hitters quite well, so you need to take advantage of the par-fives here, otherwise, you can struggle.”
