In the end, the mishit led to a two-stroke penalty on Thursday during the first round of the American Express<\/a> event. On Harman\u2019s fourth stroke \u2014 from the original ball\u2019s spot \u2014 his ball hit off the rocks to the left of the green and dropped onto the green, and he two-putted for a double bogey.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n For clarity, here is the wording of Rule 6.3c (1)<\/a> that describes what happens when a wrong ball is played:<\/p>\n \u201cIn stroke play, the player gets the general penalty (two penalty strokes) and must correct the mistake by continuing play with the original ball by playing it as it lies or taking relief under the rules. The stroke made with the wrong ball and any more strokes before the mistake is corrected (including strokes made and any additional penalty strokes solely from playing that ball) do not count. If the player does not correct the mistake before making a stroke to begin another hole or, for the final hole of the round, before returning their scorecard, the player is disqualified.\u201d<\/p>\n So who\u2019s ball did Harman hit?<\/p>\n According to the Golf Channel broadcast, it wasn\u2019t the ball of playing partner Max Homa<\/a> \u2014 he had hit his second shot on the hole before Harman \u2014\u00a0but it was an amateur\u2019s ball. This week, pros are paired with the ams for three rounds. As to how the mistake happened, there were theories.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWell, most certainly every single time you play a round of golf,\u201d Kaufman said on the broadcast, \u201cyou compare golf balls mainly with the guys you\u2019re playing with in your group. Now for the most part, the amateurs are always a tee up, so you\u2019ll compare your golf ball to, let\u2019s say, Brian Harman would show Max Homa his ball today. But you really don\u2019t walk up to the amateur tee and compare your golf ball.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2026 American Express Friday tee times: Round 2 pairings<\/a><\/p>\n By:<\/p>\n
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