If there is one thing the greens at TPC Sawgrass are known for, it is the many iconic water hazards! Amongst these, the 5th, 7th, 16th, and 17th holes are especially notorious for sinking players’ dreams. Well, it is at one of these holes, the seventh hole in particular, where Rory McIlroy created a controversy this year so similar to another incident two years ago that it seemed similar to getting flashbacks.

At first, McIlroy’s drive appeared to put him on the green, but sadly, it was foiled by the water hazard that surrounds the entire left side of the hole. McIlroy seemed to be setting himself up for a lateral putt from about 300 yards out. He controversially walked closer to the hole for his drop, though, as viewers seemed to think that his ball had progressed further, which made Viktor Hovland question his judgment.

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The 2022 Dropgate incident, or so it began to be called, took place at another pivotal TPC hole,the 16th h ole. Berger pulled his drive into the water hazard that lined towards the right. He believed his ball crossed land closer to the green than Hovland thought. As if right on cue, Joel Dahmen arrived, siding with Viktor Hovland on this one, further fanning the flames of the controversy.

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While they were disagreeing, Hovland called out for a check on the video cameras. He believed that they had gotten a closer look at the shot. But this turned out not to be the case, as the video cameras had not captured the footage. Berger was 100% sure of his drop location, to which Hovland shrugged and went, “I’m a little skeptical,”  which instantly became a meme.

“I’ve never taken a bad drop in my life. I’m gonna drop here for the sake of you guys, but you’re wrong,” said Berger, who then took the putt from further behind his original drop. Interestingly, the incident involving Rory McIlroy’s drive on the seventh hole in the first round of the 2024 edition had parallels to the controversy surrounding Berger and Hovland’s dispute at the 16th hole.

Viktor Hovland is skeptical yet again

As McIlroy’s ball ended up in the water after taking a bounce on the land by the bunker, the debate over his drop’s location ensued. Nobody was sure as to the ball’s exact location, and the Northern Irishman was sure that it had had dropped above the red line. As he walked closer to inspect, the Norwegian pro and his caddie, Shay Knight, displayed some concerns.

Knight expressed strong disapproval of McIlroy’s intended drop location, suggesting it should have been “back by the turtles,” closer to where McIlroy had initially considered before being swayed by the crowd. When McIlroy sought clarity from a rules official, John Mutch admitted, “You guys have to go with what you saw because we have no evidence.”

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Jordan Spieth then joined the discussion, trying to ascertain the correct drop, admitting, “I don’t know where it actually pitched, but I’m comfortable that it crossed some land,” which highlighted the ambiguity surrounding the incident. Given the opposing views, McIlroy made the decision to use his best judgment and settle on a compromise drop that was inside two club lengths. He then made a double bogey, and lost his solo lead from the leaderboard.

Do you think that the PGA Tour can avoid such controversies by improving its video camera setups for better shot tracking? Let us know in the comments below!

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