PGA Tour leader loses ball in the fairway in the most ridiculous way imaginable

The Unbelievable Disappearance: Akshay Bhatia’s Astonishing Tee Shot at the Rocket Mortgage Classic

Akshay Bhatia’s tee shot on the par-5 17th hole at the Rocket Mortgage Classic was a thing of beauty. His high cut drive did exactly what it was supposed to: it sliced the center of the fairway and rolled forward, making a beeline for the green. But then, in a bizarre twist, the ball vanished.

 

Bhatia, likely doubting his own eyes, was perplexed. He had clearly split the center of the fairway on this Detroit Golf Club hole, setting up a prime opportunity for another birdie. Positioned for a 260-yard approach shot into an open green, he had the potential for at least two birdie chances. So, how did he find himself in the middle of the fairway without a ball in sight?

https://x.com/PGATOUR/status/1806683858672197974?t=LgBaiB5jxuDvyK_Zv-VjYw&s=19

The mystery was revealed beneath his feet. Bhatia’s impressive drive had indeed hit the fairway, but it had also found its way directly toward a storm drain situated in the fairway’s center. In an astonishing failure of golf course design, Bhatia’s ball rolled over the drain cover and slipped through its slits, vanishing into the drain.

 

Bhatia did what any golfer, especially a PGA Tour leader, would do: he called for a rules official.

 

“I’m fairly certain that’s a Callaway down there in the bottom,” Bhatia informed the official.

 

“Okay, we don’t have to get it,” the official replied. “Unless you can figure out how to get it open.”

 

“You sure?” Bhatia responded with a grin.

After a video review and a close inspection, the rules official concluded that Bhatia would not be penalized for a lost ball. According to rules 16.1b and 16.1e of the golf rules, a player receives free relief if it is known or virtually certain that the ball is in an abnormal course condition, such as a drainage basin. The video evidence and Bhatia’s identification of the Callaway ball in the drain provided the necessary certainty.

Bhatia utilized the free relief masterfully, sending his second shot on the par-5 just off the green and settling for an eventful par. He then went on to make five birdies that day, including two immediately after the drainage drama, propelling him to 13 under for the tournament and securing the 36-hole clubhouse lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Not bad for a lost ball.