International captain’s pick Anirban Lahiri hit his opening tee shot into the water Friday at the Presidents Cup.
His day didn’t get much better after that.
After completing the 2nd hole in his match with Charl Schwartzel against Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman, the Indian golfer took an illegal practice shot from a greenside bunker. That infraction led officials to disqualify Lahiri from competing on the ensuing hole.
Lahiri’s bunker shot was a violation of Rule 7-2, which states that players may only practice between holes on the putting green of the last hole, a practice putting green or the teeing ground of the next hole. Golfers may not make a practice stroke from a hazard or delay play “unduly.”
This is Lahiri’s second appearance in the Presidents Cup. Back in 2015 in South Korea, Lahiri missed a putt in a match against Chris Kirk, ceding a half point to the U.S. team. He arrived at Liberty National with something to prove.
“It’s been two years waiting,” he said. “Obviously I’ve been wanting to get back on [the] team ever since that day in Korea. Since that day, I have personally felt I had some unfinished business,” he said earlier this month.
In the early going Friday, he and Schwartzel are 3-down through four holes.
.@anirbangolf hit a practice shot out of a bunker.
He is therefore disqualified from the next hole.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/IlX594EAIB
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 29, 2017
