Jake Knapp was upset, that much was clear.
But what wasn’t was whether he’d be penalized for his frustration — and potentially miss the cut at last week’s Mexico Open. One look thought so. But another, via a video review, was taken.
How did things reach that point? A mishit. Friday, after a tee shot into a left greenside bunker on his final hole of his round, the 164-yard, par-3 9th at the Vidanta Vallarta course, Knapp hit his second shot, and his ball found just a couple inches of grass before rolling back into the sand. Here came his anger. Knapp briefly looked away. He looked back to his right, toward the ball. He dragged his club in the sand.
But was that last move a no-no?
According to the PGA Tour this week, one official thought so, and Knapp was hit with a two-stroke penalty. After hitting his second attempt from the bunker to within a foot, Knapp one-putted for a triple-bogey six, and he dropped to one-under for the tournament — and the cutline eventually finished at three-under.
Notably, before a 2019 rules change, a player was totally prohibited from touching bunker sand with their hand or club — but Rule 12.2b now reads this way:
“Before making a stroke at your ball in a bunker, you must not: Deliberately touch sand in the bunker with your hand, a club or rake or any other object to test the condition of the sand and learn information for your next stroke, or touch sand in the bunker with your club: In the area right in front of or right behind your ball (except as allowed in fairly searching for your ball or in removing a loose impediment or movable obstruction), in making a practice swing, or in making your backswing for a stroke.
“Except as covered … above, the following actions are allowed: digging in with your feet to take a stance for a practice swing or the stroke, smoothing the bunker to care for the course, placing your clubs, equipment or other objects in the bunker (whether by throwing or setting them down), measuring, marking, lifting, replacing or taking other actions under a rule, leaning on a club to rest, stay balanced or prevent a fall, or striking the sand in frustration or anger.”
Those last seven words are key.
According to the Tour, rules official Ken Tackett and the rules committee rewatched footage — Golf Channel also showed it during its Friday broadcast — and determined that the penalty should be revoked. Knapp, the Mexico Open’s defending champion, then went back to three-under, and, a few hours later, he made the cut.
The review helped Knapp’s wallet, too.
During Saturday’s third round, he shot a three-under 68, then followed that up with a 66 during Sunday’s final round to finish tied for 25th — which earned him $53,783.
A missed cut, of course, would have meant no money.
