Michael Kim, right, and a rules official Thursday on the 18th hole at Black Desert.
PGA Tour Live
Michael Kim, after landing in prison, was released from a “criterion” hole.
Only in golf, right?
“Like finding a needle in a haystack,” the speaker Mark Immelman said.
In the end, Kim ho-hum parred Black Desert Resort’s par-5 18th hole. But in about 20 minutes before that, during Thursday’s first round Black Desert Championshipthere was a smorgasbord of activities, including:
– A break. Kim had dropped his first ball into the lava rocks and vegetation to the left of the fairway, repeated himself on his provisional ball – only to miraculously find the ball among the various rocks and vegetation.
However, there were problems.
His ball had gone into a hole in the ground. Can he swing at his ball? Maybe not. Immovable easement-lie maybe it would be the game and a one-shot penalty would be called.
– A thought. Was that aforementioned indentation just your quick scratch? Maybe.
Or was it created by an animal? Maybe. If so, Kim would get relief through the abnormal course condition rule – without anchoring a shot. He called for an official.
“I feel like there’s probably half the field (that) wouldn’t have even considered doing that,” analyst Matt Every said on the PGA Tour live stream.
– A phone call. A regulation officer came. He inquired, before turning to another official on a remote control for guidance.
Portions of the conversation were taken from the PGA Tour’s live microphones:
The officer on the scene said, “Hey, you obviously know more about this property. I suppose we have some creatures going around this desert. … Some kind of animal holes around these bushes.”
Said the official on the other end of the walkie-talkie: “Yes, we definitely have …”
Said the official at the scene: “Yes, when you stick your finger, it definitely goes down. There must be some kind of animal hole, I would think.”
– A decision. The pile was determined to be an animal hole and relief was granted without penalty.
Said Immelman on the PGA Tour live broadcast: “This is a massive blessing.”
Every said: “Of course it is. Welcome to the rules of golf, folks. You can drive it down the middle of the freeway in a split and get no relief, then put it in jail—literal jail—and get a free fall. What a game.”
Said Immelman: “I think it’s a case of knowing the rules.”
– A ball placement. After the decision, the stones were cleared and Kim was able to place his ball after attempts to drop it failed.
Said Every on the PGA Tour live stream: “It’s a shame, though, that the official doesn’t have a tee on him, so he can just do it to him, then hit from there. I’m just kidding.”
Immelman said, “No, you’re not.”
Said Every: “I mean, this is a worldwide holiday. It really is.”
Said Immelman: “If he makes four here, that’s like the robbery of the day.”
Said Every: “It is also the whole world because his provisional also went to the jungle. I mean, we could potentially save four shots here, it looks like.”
– A laugh and a post. After the fall, Kim hit an iron in the fairway, then hit an iron to 12 feet. Would he make a bird? He didn’t, though when his ball touched the right edge of the hole in the tee shot, he ducked, before covering his face and laughing.
Without a doubt, Kim knew what had happened.
Immelman said on the PGA Tour live broadcast: “I think, at the end, after you hit two shots into the putt down the left, if you told him, hey, you can have five, he would have run to the green.”
Said Every: “He wanted to do it (the birdie) so he could write about it (on social media).
Notably, Kim did. After birdying the 18th and finishing with a three-under 68, he wrote this:
“On my way to buy a lotto ticket…. I have some time off today!”
