McIlroy started playing at the 10th hole in the first round of the tournament at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on the 15th (Korea time) before dropping his tee shot in the water at the 7th hole (par 4), his 16th hole.
The question was the “position” to take one penalty and drop. There was a red line in the hole indicating the water hazard, and the issue was whether McIlroy’s ball crossed this line.
If McIlroy’s ball fell into the water after crossing this line, he could have taken one penalty near here, dropped it, and continued the game.
If you don’t cross this line and fall into the water, McIlroy will have to go back near the tee box and play, so you lose that much at the distance.
McIlroy claimed the ball crossed the line, but Jordan Spieth (USA) and Victor Hovlan (Norway), who played with him, raised objections.
When Spieth said, “Everyone says the ball failed to reach the line and fell into the water,” McIlroy reportedly responded, “Who is that ‘everyone’ person?” and even argued.
The 466-yard seventh hole is a dogleg hole that bends to the left, and if you leave the fairway to the left, there is a steep slope, so the ball falls out into the water hazard.
The tee box did not show where the ball bounced, nor was it caught on the TV broadcast screen.
The players even called the match commissioner, but there were no witnesses, so it was of no help.
McIlroy claimed, “I’m sure my ball crossed the red line,” so he made his third shot near the water hazard without returning to the tee box, and eventually holed out the seventh hole with a double bogey.
It took 30 minutes to hole out the seventh hole as the players were divided over the drop location.
McIlroy also lost one shot when he dropped the ball into the water at the 18th hole (par 4), the ninth hole, but he took the lead by swinging a 7-under 65 in the first round.
McIlroy told the PGA Tour after the game, “I had an argument with Spieth (accompanied player). He just wanted to make sure I was doing it right.”
“It would have been better if I shot 62 without dropping the ball in the water twice, but I played by the rules today,” McIlroy said.
BY: 토토