Dustin Johnson did not hit his ball in the water at the fourth hole Friday, but his brother and caddie, Austin, was nonetheless forced to go into the water hazard to retrieve it.
Dustin had marked his ball on the green, then accidentally dropped the ball as he attempted to hand it off to his brother -- only to see it bounce into the water hazard.
That would be funny if not for the fact the Rules of Golf require that players finish a hole using the same ball with which they started.
Dustin and Austin Johnson checked with a rules official to be clear and were told the golfer would be penalized if he didn't finish the hole with the ball that was now in the water.
"We made the right decision for once," Austin Johnson said.
With his shoes on, the caddie jumped off the green and into the shallow water, then fished out the ball. His shoes soaking wet afterward, Austin Johnson said he could see rocks and debris in the water and didn't want to risk cutting his feet.
"I've got more shoes," he said.
Under Rule 15-2, a substituted ball carries a two-stroke penalty. A ball can be marked, but it cannot be changed.
"The ball kind of slipped out of his hand," Austin Johnson said. "But he wasn't the one going down into the water."
He's really bad
Thursday will be remembered as one of the more user-friendly days on the Stadium Course at the 2016 Players Championship. World No. 1 Jason Day hit his stride and was nearly flawless in the morning conditions, tying a course record with a 9-under 63.
Just to put things in perspective with how astounding that performance is on one of the PGA Tour's most challenging courses, not to mention the famed No. 17 island green, it behooves a flashback to some 30 years ago.
In 1985, Golf Digest magazine set out to find the worst avid golfer in the world. After an extensive search, four finalists were brought to TPC Sawgrass to compete for the title on the Stadium Course.
Angelo Spagnolo, a grocer from Pittsburgh, won after making a 66 on the famed par-3, 17th to shoot 257 for the round.
Fact or fiction
UTEP basketball Coach Tim Floyd held a news conference in the middle of May for no real reason other than to confront local sports radio host Steve Kaplowitz.
The short of it is Floyd was upset with reports by Kaplowitz saying players were transferring or leaving because they were unhappy with the athletic department. Floyd used to coach the Chicago Bulls and used to appear on Kaplowitz's show, which is something he reminded people Tuesday during the news conference.
Floyd went after Kaplowitz for about 30 minutes, calling him a bunch of names, none of which were pleasant.
"It's complete fiction, what's coming out of his mouth, and he wants me to go on the air and respond to that," Floyd said. "Some rumor that comes from some blogger, from some website, as if he's getting his [information] from CBS Sports, or ABC Sports or ESPN."
Eventually, the two went one-on-one as CBS Sports has transcribed.
FLOYD: "It's complete fiction what's coming out of his mouth."
KAPLOWITZ: [Non-verbally reacts off-camera]
FLOYD: "Don't shake your head -- you know I'm dead-ass right."
KAPLOWITZ: "That's wrong, and you're classless for saying that in front of the media."
[Both shouting over each other before Floyd offered this zinger.]
FLOYD: "Your show is fiction."
Sports on 05/14/2016