Lee Westwood breaks golf rule at LIV Riyadh
Lee Westwood was assessed a two-stroke penalty during the second round of LIV's curtain-raiser in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Lee Westwood was given a two-stroke penalty in bizarre circumstances during the second round of LIV Golf's 2025 curtain-raiser in Saudi Arabia.
The former World No.1 pulled his tee shot left at Riyadh Golf Club's par-4 16th and saw his golf ball settle in a stream.
Video footage showed the Englishman walking over and carefully inspecting his Titleist Pro V1x in the water.
His caddie then fished it out using a club, dried it and gave the golfer a yardage to the pin as Westwood dropped from knee height.
Westwood then found the back left of the green with his approach from 181 yards.
It then dawned on Westwood when he got to the putting surface to mark the ball that it was not actually his.
It was actually a different make and model than Westwood was playing that night.
Therefore, he was in violation of a Model Local Rule in place for the $25m event that requires golfers to play the same make and model of ball throughout the round.
The result was another penalty shot added to his score.
It was all the more frustrating for Westwood given he started the hole tied for the third place on 11-under.
"Yeah, I'm not sure I've ever heard that one either, Dom," David Feherty told LIV's on-course reporter Dom Boulet after the latter described the violation as 'a first'.
"That's most unusual," Feherty said.
Feherty described the penalty as 'a dagger to the heart'.
Lee Westwood just given a two stroke penalty for using the wrong ball after losing his ball in a small stream. They fished the ball out and presumably put it into play but it wasn’t his…
— Red Harrington (@RedHarrington44) February 7, 2025
Walks up to the ball. Thinks he IDs it so the caddy pulls it out…holds it in his hands for some length of time and takes his drop. Apparently never verified if it was in fact his ball in his hand. Crazy…how he didn’t inspect it for marks alone before putting it back in play. https://t.co/cDBbDSPJwC pic.twitter.com/oKaHTXX5og
— Red Harrington (@RedHarrington44) February 7, 2025
Westwood's caddie is the highly experienced Mick Doran, although his wife Helen Storey also assumes looping duties on occasion.
Before joining forces with Westwood, Doran carried the sticks for some of Europe's biggest names.
Over the years he has worked alongside Danny Willet, Costantino Rocca, David Howell, Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn, Paul Lawrie, Luke Donald, Rory Sabbatini, Francesco Molinari and Eddie Pepperell.
Doran first picked up a bag when he was 12 years old at Wentworth and started working on the European Tour in 1988.
Westwood ended up carding a 1-under 71 in round two.
Adrian Meronk held a two-shot lead on 16-under over Sebastian Munoz.
Tyrrell Hatton, Jon Rahm and new LIV Golf recruit Tom McKibbin were also inside the top-10.
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