WATCH: Squirrel Causes Richard Bland To Make Unlucky Bogey

A squirrel stopped Richard Bland's golf ball at the PGA Championship, which caused it to roll off the green and lead to a bogey

Richard Bland and a squirrel
(Image credit: Getty Images/Twitter @blandy73)

Richard Bland knew it wasn't his day yesterday at the PGA Championship after a squirrel caused him to make a bogey at Southern Hills.

The Englishman posted a fan-taken video on social media, which showed one of his shots rolling onto the green before a crafty squirrel interfered. The video shows the squirrel stop the ball in its tracks before it then rolled off the front of the green.

Bland said he played a good recovery shot from the trees before the unlucky incident, and then failed to get up-and-down to make a costly bogey.

"You know it’s not going to be your week when you play a good recovery shot from under the trees & this little fella gets in the way," Bland tweeted. "To top it off the ball rolls back off the green & don’t get up & down #sumstheweekup."

Watch the video:

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Unfortunately for Bland, he couldn't replace his ball on the green as it hadn't come to a stop. As it was in motion when it was moved, he had to play it from where it finished up.

"If your ball is moved by an outside influence, such as an animal or a spectator, there is no penalty to anyone and the ball must be replaced," the USGA states. "When your ball in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped, there is no penalty and you will normally play the ball from wherever it lies."

Earlier in the week, somewhat controversially, Richard Bland revealed he will play the LIV Golf Series opener despite the DP World Tour declining players' release requests.

He missed the cut at Southern Hills after shooting rounds of 74 and 76 for a 10-over-par total.

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV