The final round of the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale has been bizarre, but it got a whole lot more bizarre when leaders Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar reached the par-4 13th hole.
After Kuchar drove into the left rough, Spieth hit his worst drive of the week, with his ball ending up some 100 yards right of the fairway in thick grass on the side of a huge dune. Things grew stranger from there.
Spieth chose to declare an unplayable lie, meaning he would take a penalty stroke and drop his ball in a more favorable area on the same line no closer to the hole. But straight behind his ball was the Royal Birkdale practice area. Making things more interesting, the practice area has various structures and equipment trailers getting in the way.
So…That was something. #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/TAC7r403tR
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 23, 2017
Nearly 20 minutes after hitting his drive, Spieth took a drop on the range, nearly 70 yards behind his original lie. Spieth drew an iron and hit it just short of the right greenside bunker.
Remarkable recovery from @jordanspieth. #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/VAR5J3lsgp
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 23, 2017
Meanwhile, Kuchar waited patiently with his ball safely on the green, taking a knee in the fairway.
