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‘Should be 2 Penalties’: Golf Fans Bash Anthony Kim as Bizarre Rules Mishap Comes to Light

Published 03/02/2024, 8:10 AM EST

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The bubbling anticipation that occupied everyone’s FYP in the golf world finally became a reality. Once deemed to be the next Tiger Woods, Anthony Kim made his return to the golf course at LIV Golf Jeddah after 12 years of hiatus. The deal signed by the 38-year-old pro was reported to be around $7.5 million, which may cover his insurance money. Nonetheless, Kim got the break he always wanted, but it didn’t turn out to be as everyone was expecting it.

Things have not been gleeful for the LA native in Jeddah so far. After the Friday round, Kim sat at the bottom of the leaderboard with seven bogeys and a single birdie. The situation was pretty similar in the second round as well. He made three bogeys, two double bogeys, and one birdie, finishing 12 over 156 after two rounds and the 53rd spot on the leaderboard. AK is still last on the leaderboard as below him is Matthew Wolff who had to abruptly withdraw from the event. To make things worse, during the front nine, Kim got stuck in a weird situation.

The Monday Q Info reported on X that at his 3rd hole (par-4 17th), Kim hit a ball in the right direction. However, “the ball slowly trickle [sic] down the cart path in the desert.” It highlighted that, per replay, it could have been easy to find the ball, but they could not. However, what was surprising was that they were looking for Kim’s ball for seven minutes before he headed back to the tee.

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In most leagues, the rule states that a lost ball should be searched for no more than three minutes. The differential conformation at the LIV Golf Jeddah baffled the golf world and sparked a series of questions.

The golf world reacts; LIV Golf’s rule error confuses the masses

Mistakes are bound to happen when such a big tournament is underway. It was probably not an intentional mishap from LIV Golf’s side; however, the golf world does not usually give any room for error.

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One fan did not find the loss of the ball a usual sight. However, they did agree the time taken for its search was “too long.”

One viewer reposted the tweet and wrote his reaction in Spanish. The English translation shows that they were taking a jibe at the Saudi-backed league. It said, “On all tours, the ball is searched according to the rules of 3 minutes. But the Saudis have 7.”

Another spectator attributed the loss of the ball to a low audience count at Royal Greens G&CC. They made fun of LIV and said, “If only they had any crowd,” then the ball would’ve been found.

Another highlighted what the rules are, they said that Kim should’ve been penalized with a two-stroke penalty for taking extra time. However, since it is LIV, Kim has leeway.

This fan made fun of LIV’s tagline Golf, But Louder. They changed the last adjective to slower because of Kim’s incident.

One user was in utter shock. They shared that they hadn’t watched a single minute of LIV and asked if the league was “always so liberal with the rules of golf???”

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Lastly, this fan found the entire scenario “insane.” They suggested where the ball might’ve ended up. Per them, “It rolled into the waste area and someone drove over it.” It could’ve been easily found if that track was checked.

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The ball’s placement is a mystery and may never be solved. What was your verdict on LIV Golf delaying the round hunting for the lost ball? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by:

Khambe Huda Imran

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Huda Khambe is a Golf Writer for EssentiallySports. Growing up watching Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam bag one major after the other, Huda Khambe set herself on a path to becoming a sports writer early on. With a year of prior experience in writing, Huda now brings the greens to life with her unique insights on her favorite storylines, such as Jack Nicklaus's record rivalry with Tiger Woods and its impact on both stars.
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Edited by:

Riya Singhal

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