What happened to Shane Lowry's golf ball?



What happened to Shane Lowry’s golf ball?

The 49-year-old Aussie was 2-over after the first eight holes Thursday when he realized his mistake. His golf ball had a small dot on it. He had been using an incorrect ball, which resulted in 10 penalty strokes and his early withdrawal.

Why did Matt Hensby get a 10-stroke penalty?

In the first round on Thursday, Hensby suffered an eye-popping 10-stroke penalty that he called on himself for using the wrong ball. How that happened is the bizarre part. On the putting green, Hensby was rolling balls with another player, Pat Perez, nearby.

What is the penalty for playing the wrong golf ball?

Hensby called over senior tournament referee Mike Peterson to report the switch, and received a two-stroke penalty for each hole played with the wrong ball, adding up to 10 strokes lost. There used to be a maximum penalty of four strokes, but a rule change in 2019 opened Hensby up for the extreme punishment.

What is the one ball rule in golf?

The purpose of the rule is to prevent a player from using balls with different playing characteristics depending on the nature of the hole or shot to be played. Russell Henley unknowingly violated the One Ball Rule in the second round at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in 2019.