Haotong Li carded a 5-over 77 on Thursday at Bay Hill Club and Lodge, finishing tied 68th in a field of 72 players. That number placed him 14 strokes behind Round 1 leader Daniel Berger, who shot a 9-under 63. One decision on the par-5 6th hole generated more conversation than the scorecard.

On the par-5 6th hole, with water guarding the left, Li stood in a greenside bunker and chose his putter. The ball made it to the green. Frustrated, Li kicked the sand. By the end of the round, the clip posted by the PGA Tour had over 100,000 views.

The standard escape from a greenside bunker calls for a sand wedge, an open face, and a swing that contacts the sand an inch or two behind the ball. The explosion of sand is what carries the ball out, not direct contact with the club. Bobby Jones, whose instructional film series in the 1930s remains a reference point for bunker technique, built his approach around the principle that the club should glide through the sand rather than dig into it. The putter skips that mechanic entirely as it works when the lie is clean, the lip is low, and the green runs flat enough to accept a rolling ball. Bay Hill’s 6th, sitting beside water with a greenside complex that demands precision, does not always offer those conditions.

Li was a late addition to the field, stepping in for Jake Knapp, who withdrew due to illness. He got in through the Aon Swing 5 and joined a 72-player field playing for $20 million. The video spread quickly. Nearly half the replies on the PGA Tour’s post were negative or sarcastic, but most of the criticism was about Li’s reaction after the shot, not the club he used.

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Haotong Li’s sand kick draws sarcasm from golf fans

“How do you even get mad when you tried putting from a bunker,” a fan wrote.

Fans questioned the timing. If you pick an unconventional club, why get angry when it does not work out?

“Not sure you’re allowed to kick the sand after you chose to use the putter.”

Golf Channel said the lie was to blame for Li’s reaction. Not everyone agreed.

“‘I think the lie got him.’ No sh*t.”

Some pointed out that using a putter from a greenside bunker is something you see at a local course, not at a $20 million event.

“Usually this is a move reserved for the local muni that ‘doesn’t need’ rakes.”

One reply covered the entire moment in a single word.

“Oopsies.”

Li has three more rounds at Bay Hill, and how they will turn out remains to be seen.