Kevin Kisner still remembers a rules dispute from almost 10 years ago, and interestingly, it still makes him angry. The four-time PGA Tour winner and NBC Sports lead golf analyst detailed the incident on the Fore Play podcast. He recalled what happened during the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon. Fore Play shared the clip on X on September 17, 2026. Kisner talked about a tense moment with a European Rules official during the same tournament where Henrik Stenson beat Phil Mickelson in their famous final-round battle.

“I’m just so irate at the way that I’m getting treated,” Kisner said, recalling the moment.

Kisner set the scene from the 18th hole at Royal Troon, in a downpour, with the pin tucked in the back. “And I’m on 18 and the pin’s in the back on Saturday or Sunday and it’s pouring sideways,” he said. “And I just laced this three iron right at the flag.” He was confident enough in the shot that he didn’t even watch it land. “As soon as I hit it, I just grabbed the umbrella and start walking,” Kisner said. That’s when a rules official stopped him, telling him he would need to replay the shot because his ball had gone out of bounds.

“I just lost it,” Kisner said. “I just hit the best three iron in my life at the flag. There’s no out of bounds. What are you talking about?”

The out-of-bounds ruling came from an unusual part of the course. Kisner said there was a rocky walkway behind the green near the clubhouse. The walkway was only about 15 feet from the back of the green, but it was marked as out of bounds.

Kisner said his three-iron had gone toward the back pin before ending up on that walkway. He could see that the ball was still very close to the green and looked easy to play.

That made the ruling even more frustrating for him. Kisner said he wanted the R&A officials to come out into the heavy rain and see the conditions for themselves.

The situation became even harder because of the way Kisner communicates. He said he normally uses casual language and slang when talking with his friends and caddies. But he felt that the European rules officials did not always understand the way he spoke.

Kisner’s usual slang did not always work with the rules officials, which made the conversation difficult. In his view, that communication problem added to his anger over the ruling.

The week was also a difficult one for Kisner on the course. He opened with rounds of 70 and 72 at Royal Troon before shooting an 80 in the third round and a 76 on Sunday. He finished the championship at 14-over 298 and tied for 76th.

People remember the 2016 Open, however, for the legendary, record-shattering final-round duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson. Stenson shot a flawless 8-under 63 in the final round, tying the lowest closing score in men’s major history, and finished 20-under par. Mickelson shot a bogey-free 6-under 65, a score that would likely have won most other majors.

Kisner’s longtime caddie, Duane “Dewey” Bock, was also there during the rules dispute. Kisner said Dewey understood the ball was probably out of bounds but still kept the argument going with him.

Almost 10 years later, Kisner still remembers the incident clearly. For him, the story is not only about where the ball ended up. It is also about the confusion between him and the rules official, with both sides struggling to understand each other as heavy rain fell around them.