Microphones catch PGA Tour pro Adam Hadwin commit rules penalty at RBC Heritage

We may have a better understanding of why PGA Tour star Brooks Koepka is so adamantly against wearing a microphone on the course during tournaments.

As Brentley Romine reported for Golf Channel, PGA Tour pro Adam Hadwin found himself at the 13th hole during the opening round of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head on Thursday when he removed some rocks behind his ball following a shot.

"Uh oh, I’m pretty sure that’s a penalty, what I just did there," Hadwin said aloud while wearing a mic after he inadvertently removed sand he believed to be pebbles.

A PGA Tour rules official confirmed Hadwin's fears, and he was handed a two-stroke penalty for "removing or pressing down sand or loose soil in order to improve the conditions affecting the stroke." He finished the day 1-over 72.

After completing his opening round on Thursday, Koepka lashed out at reporters over he and his peers being asked to wear microphones with no fans on courses because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic:

"I don’t understand why they want us to wear a mic when there’s a boom mic that stands 10 feet away from every shot that I hit. If the announcers would just shut up and listen, you could hear every word that we’re talking about. I don’t understand what the thing is.

"Half the time the lady’s holding a boom mic, and she’s listening to everything we’re saying all the way down. If they would just shut up, they could hear everything."