Rules debates are common in golf. And players not liking the final verdict is the most probable outcome in most cases. Jon Rahm‘s first round rules fiasco at the BMW PGA Championship was no different. Except that it took a lengthy debate, a fan’s camera angle, and a debate about gravity to arrive at the conclusion.

At the par-4, 13th hole, Rahm’s 305-yard tee shot landed to the right of the fairway. But the problem started when Rahm was taking a few practice swings before his approach shot. The ball moved towards his club, and Rahm himself called a rule official. The official decided it would mean a one-stroke penalty. Rahm was flabbergasted.

In the video shared by DP World Tour, the Spaniard had a long discussion with the official, convincing him that if the club touched the ball, it would go forward and not the opposite. He even insisted on having a discussion after the round and having a look at the close-up shots to decide further. 

Eventually, after a lengthy discussion, Rahm agreed to incur a one-stroke penalty, since the ball moved after he grounded the club. Despite that, he saved par on the 13th. However, his luck was not this good in 2020 at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Back in 2020, the golfer in the final round of the Memorial Tournament was held accountable for moving the ball with his practice swing. The ball merely moved an inch; he was ‘rewarded’ a two-shot penalty. Not that it mattered. The Spaniard went on to win by three strokes. 

These instances point to an interesting conflict with the USGA and R&A rules. Rule 9.3 states: “If your ball is moved by any of these natural forces, there is no penalty and you will generally just play your ball from its new location. The one exception to that is on the putting green.”  Quite naturally, Rahm’s rule fiasco kicked up a storm on social media. Moreover, being the top prospect at the BMW PGA Championship, fans were quite furious.

Fans offer a blunt take on the incident with Jon Rahm

Despite the incident being two days old, the fans are still marching into the comments section in support of the golfer. One of the fans wrote, “I love golf, but some of the ruling videos are borderline embarrassing to watch.” The carousel with multiple videos involved a long discussion, which led to the final decision of putting the ball back. In fact, the videos showcased Rahm insisting on taking the discussion after the round to address the pace of play. 

Another joined writing, “Some of these rules need looking at. We could do with some more common sense in Golf.” The ball, which moved backward due to lying on a slope and a grassy surface. But according to the rules official, it was the fault of Rahm. A similar instance happened back in the 2022 BMW Championship, where Rahm’s fellow Hideki Matsuyama was called in for the same. Matsuyama, who practiced his shot a foot away from the ball, was called for moving the ball. But luckily, with the support of Jon Rahm, the rules official left him without a penalty and asked him to continue where the ball was. 

More fans joined, one wrote, “Aren’t we now at the stage in golf where some rules need amending or even removing. There is no clear advantage.” With the game evolving, both golfers and rules officials are struggling with some of the old rules. The fans demand ‌better rules for such instances. 

Another person added, “It’s stuff like this that’s a big factor in the slow pace of play we’re seeing constantly. It’s even more ridiculous considering they’re playing preferred lies,” and “This is ridiculous.” It remains to be seen if USGA and R&A come up with another set of rule chagnes anytime soon.