Sahith Theegala’s Bizarre Lost Ball: Weirdest Penalty at the PGA Championship

Time ran out, and under Rule 18.2, three minutes is the limit. Theegala walked back to the bunker, took a one-shot penalty, and replayed the shot under stroke-and-distance rules.

He missed the green with his fourth shot. His fifth left a 16-footer for double bogey. It slid past the hole. Triple bogey dropped him from three under to even par.

“We have no idea where it went,” McGuiness said.

The delay slowed down the groups playing behind Sahith Theegala. Cameras showed Rory McIlroy leaning against an advertising board while waiting for the hole to open up.

Sahith Theegala finished the day at three over par. He is now five shots behind the leaders, Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy, who are both at four under par. Theegala is tied for 30th place.

Sahith Theegala gets penalty a day after another big rules drama at Aronimink Golf Club

Friday’s ruling wasn’t the week’s first. On Thursday, Garrick Higgo arrived at his tee time just over a minute late. He was handed a two-stroke penalty on the spot and missed the cut by one shot.

Justin Thomas had his group placed on the clock Friday for slow play, alongside Keegan Bradley and Cameron Young.

“I didn’t really agree with it,” Thomas said.

Sahith Theegala’s situation was different from the others. At the professional level, lost balls rarely happen. There are spotters on every hole to help find balls, and players usually hit their shots accurately, so finding the ball is rarely a problem.

On Friday, everything changed for Sahith Theegala on the 10th hole when his shot hit a tree branch. He had to take a penalty and play the shot again. After that, he finished the hole with a triple bogey and went into the weekend five shots behind the leaders.