Rickie Fowler Suffers Harsh Penalty Whilst Leading Phoenix Open

Elliott Heath

The American's ball rolled back into the water after a drop, costing him an extra stroke

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Rickie Fowler Suffers Harsh Penalty Whilst Leading Phoenix Open

Rickie Fowler was on the end of a harsh Ruling during the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Fowler hit his pitch shot (3rd shot) into the water on the 11th hole and was forced to take a drop.

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His ball was at rest but whilst he walked up to the green it rolled back into the water so Rickie had to re-drop with a one stroke penalty.

So from playing his fifth shot, he was then playing his sixth with the extra penalty.

He got up and down for a triple-bogey seven, but ended the hole with a lead of just one stroke after entering it with a five stroke lead.

Watch the incident below:

Fowler was asked by PGA Tour Rules Official Slugger White if the ball had come to rest and couldn’t respond with certainty.

The four-time PGA Tour winner was at fault perhaps for picking up his tee quickly and not 100% checking that his ball was completely at rest.

He clearly thought it was as he walked away up the hill to the green.

Sky Sports Golf’s Rob Lee described the penalty as “a joke” during commentary.

Rule 9.3 states – If it is not known or virtually certain that the ball was lifted or moved by an outside influence and the ball is lost, the player must take stroke-and-distance relief under Rule 18.2.

The triple-bogey dropped Fowler to 15 under par and five over par for the round.

He then bogeyed the par-3 next to lose his lead outright.

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