Rickie Fowler Suffers Harsh Penalty Whilst Leading Phoenix Open
The American's ball rolled back into the water after a drop, costing him an extra stroke


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The American's ball rolled back into the water after a drop, costing him an extra stroke
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.
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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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Elliott Heath is our Senior Staff Writer and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016. He graduated in Sports Journalism in 2016 and currently manages the Golf Monthly news, courses and travel sections as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Elliott has interviewed some huge names in the golf world including Sergio Garcia, Thomas Bjorn, Bernd Wiesberger and Scotty Cameron as well as a number of professionals on the DP World and PGA Tours. He has also covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as three Open Championships including at Carnoustie in 2018 when he was inside the ropes with Tiger Woods. He has played 31 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Old Head and Alwoodley. He currently plays at West Byfleet Golf Club in Surrey, where his handicap index floats anywhere between 4-6. His golfing highlight is making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, and he has made one hole-in-one.
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Honma TR20
3 wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max
2 iron: Mizuno MP-18 MMC Fli-Hi
Irons: Mizuno MP5 4-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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