Collin Morikawa faced questions about a potential rules violation during the opening round of the Masters on Thursday, but the clipped video which went viral does not seem to tell the full story.
Fans on social media went nuts after a video circulated which appeared to show Morikawa placing his ball an inch or two away from his ball marker on the sixth green, which would be a penalty. Said clip did not add the full context of the moment, though.
Those who saw the full sequence know that Morikawa stepped up to his birdie putt before backing off. This is likely because his ball rolled back when he addressed it and he wanted to return it to its original position, which is legal.
You can see the entire sequence in the video below, but ignore the commentary:
Some people who saw what unfolded said Morikawa was replacing his ball after it moved backward or oscillated.
Morikawa almost certainly was not trying to cheat. He is one of the favorites at the Masters and he knows cameras are on him at all times.
If you remember, Dustin Johnson was penalized when he won the US Open back in 2016 when he addressed his ball on the green and unintentionally caused it to move. Johnson was unsure if something he did shifted the ball's position, which led to the penalty. Not long after that US Open, the rule was changed to eliminate any penalty when a ball is moved accidentally.
What Morikawa did would have been illegal before the rule was changed. That is exactly why the rule was changed and why he likely will not be penalized.
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