PGA Tour pro told he's got away with 'daylight robbery' after animal rule decision
PGA Tour member Michael Kim joked he was on his way to buy a lottery ticket after he benefitted from an outrageous stroke of fortune.
PGA Tour golfer Michael Kim joked he was on his way to buy a lottery ticket after the first round of the Black Desert Championship.
Kim carded a ho-hum opening round of 3-under 68 at Black Desert Resort but it could have been worse had he not benefitted from an all-time break.
As is often said when events of this nature occur, the rules of golf are there to help you at times.
It's not unreasonable to suggest that Kim could've saved as many as four shots here.
So what happened?
Kim was in a world of trouble at the par-5 18th hole.
The golfer, 31, hit his tee shot into the native area then did exactly the same with his provisional ball.
From there, he somehow managed to find ball one.
The only issue was that it was in jail. Literally.
Look at this monstrosity:
But after a lengthy back-and-forth with a rules official, Kim was able to take a free drop.
Initially, it looked as though he was going to have to take unplayable-lie relief for a one-shot penalty.
But he asked the rules official if it was possible that the indention his ball was occupying was created by an animal.
Said official was heard on the hot mics having a conversation on his walkie talkie with another rules boffin.
"Yeah, when I stick my finger, it definitely goes underneath," he said.
"There's got to be some sort of animal hole, I would think."
Lead CBS analyst Trevor Immelman said it reminded him of the break Tiger Woods received when he recruited spectators to move a massive boulder during the 1999 Phoenix Open.
Kim was able to eventually place his golf ball after attempts to drop it didn't work.
On-course commentator Matt Every joked on the PGA Tour Live broadcast: "It's a shame, though, that the official doesn't have a tee on him so he can just tee it up for him, then hit it out of there."
He added: "I mean, this is an all-world break. It truly is."
Kim got his golf ball back in play and stuck his approach to 12ft for birdie.
He missed the putt but it was clear the Golf Gods™ were on his side.
Watch what happened here:
And this was Kim's response a short while later.
Canada's Adam Svensson took the early lead in Utah, carding an 11-under 60.
He led Henrik Norlander and Matt McCarty by two strokes.
Peter Malnati also made the headlines on day one, making an outrageous double bogey after holing out from 177 yards having hit two tee shots out of bounds.
Read more about that here.
