As the Presidents Cup entered Day 2 at Medinah Country Club on Friday, the International team found itself trailing. With the American side holding a 3-2 lead, every point was crucial for Geoff Ogilvy’s team as it looked to close the gap. However, the visitors suffered an early setback when South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout made a costly mistake on the second hole.

“Christiaan Bezuidenhout goes OB on the 2nd hole at Medinah CC 💀,” NUCLR Golf reported on X alongside a clip of the shot.

The 32-year-old strikes an approach shot from 193 yards out in the video. However, the ball landed in the rough, then bounced over the fence and out of bounds into a group of spectators, disrupting the plan. The rules forced Bezuidenhout to take a one-stroke penalty and hit the shot again from the original position. Despite the costly mistake, the hole ultimately ended in a tie.

This comes after Medinah’s No. 3 course underwent a major renovation by Australian firm OCM in 2023–24 ahead of the 2026 Presidents Cup, transforming it from a narrow, tree-lined layout into a wider, more strategic course that evokes its 1920s origins. Hundreds of trees were removed, fairways widened, rough reduced, greens enlarged, and the number of bunkers increased from approximately 70 to 117.

Several holes were also redesigned or replaced, with new risk-reward challenges around Lake Kadijah. For the Presidents Cup, the routing was further adjusted to begin at the downhill fifth hole, bringing the dramatic lakeside stretches into play earlier and increasing their potential to influence match outcomes. And the effects of these changes were quite visible even on Thursday.

Jackson Koivun of the U.S. team hit his drive OB on the second hole and also had an approach that threatened the fence near the green. Meanwhile, the International team’s players Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim both sent their tee shots out of bounds on the same hole. Hideki Matsuyama narrowly avoided a penalty when his ball finished just inside the fence on the first hole, forcing him to play an awkward second shot from the rail. 

And Sungjae Im got a fortunate bounce when his tee shot struck the fence on the second but rebounded back into play. Regardless, Bezuidenhout, who partnered with Adam Scott to face Justin Thomas and Cameron Young, was made to sit out Friday’s four-ball session by team captain Ogilvy. So, naturally, he might not be too happy about shooting an OB. 

When fans discovered the post from NUCLR Golf, they quickly started debating whether the OB was fair.

One user appeared to have a straightforward answer. “I mean, they know it’s there, and everyone plays it the same,” wrote the user. However, the changes to the course were intended to make the competition more dramatic, but they felt more like punishment for the players. 

The next fan had a similar view of the OB. “Everyone is playing the same course. What a stupid question,” the fan commented. Notably, International team captain Geoff Ogilvy’s firm, OCM, renovated the course. So, theoretically, his side should be more well-versed in the course. 

Someone else also felt there’s nothing unfair about it. “Everyone can see where OB is,” the user claimed. 

The next fan sang the same song. “It’s only fair because everyone else is playing by the same rules,” wrote the fan. 

Meanwhile, another user decided to mock the golfer. “I guess hitting to the middle of the green would’ve been too easy? If you know it’s OB left… TF are you starting the ball left for?” the user asked. 

Clearly, most fans don’t see any problems with the OB. However, had there been no changes to the course, the same shot might not have been an OB.