South African golfer Charl Schwartzel was handed a one-shot penalty after a fish ate his ball during a LIV Golf tournament. The bizarre incident occurred on the seventh hole at the LIV Golf Bedminster event, held at the Trump National Golf Club.
After his drive landed on the green, the ball rolled towards the nearby water hazard. As it entered the water, a fish jumped up and swallowed it in less than a second, leaving commentators and fans stunned.
Reaction and confusion
"I have never seen that!" one commentator exclaimed. Social media users also expressed their disbelief, questioning the rules in such a situation. One user wrote, "Fish swallowing a golf ball is a new one.. liv golf is taking us places we've never been before," while another asked, "What's the rule on this one?"
Another fan commented, "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 outcome
Despite the confusion, Schwartzel was ultimately given a one-shot penalty, resulting in a bogey on the par-three hole. He finished the tournament two over par.
Before the event, Schwartzel had discussed the course's challenges, though he likely didn't anticipate a fish interfering. "It's a great golf course," he told SABC Sport. "It's a golf course that will also suit Martin (Vorster, 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."
