Watch: LPGA Pro's Ball Lands In Fan's Backpack
The incredible incident happened after Saiki Fujita's wayward tee shot during the final round of the Toto Japan Classic
Wayward tee shots afflict even the very best players from time to time, but not many can say a misjudged effort landed where Saiki Fujita's did during the final round of the LPGA's Toto Japan Classic.
Following Fujita's tee shot on the par-3 12th at Seta Golf Club, it was soon apparent that the ball was heading towards the crowd surrounding the green, but what happened next surprised everyone as the ball landed directly in a spectator's backpack.
Originally, there was confusion over whether the ball was in the spectator's hand, because, unusually, he was carrying another ball at the moment of the incident. However, it didn't take long for Fujita to realise that, in fact, the ball was safely inside his backpack.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES!? 🤯 🎒 Saiki Fujita's wayward tee shot landed in the backpack of a spectator 😂 pic.twitter.com/GmQVm4n82pNovember 6, 2022
The Japanese player instantly saw the funny side but still needed the help of LPGA rules official Sue Witters to determine what the outcome would be before taking her next shot. Eventually, she was given a drop directly below where the spectator had stood when the ball made its unusual landing. That is consistent with Rule 15.2a, which states that when the ball is in or on a movable obstruction anywhere on the course except the green, "you may take free relief by lifting your ball, removing the movable obstruction and dropping your original ball or another ball."
After the drama had subsided, Fujita went on to bogey the hole before finishing the tournament tied for 14th, 11 shots behind winner Gemma Dryburgh.
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Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
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