Charl Schwartzel's ball ended up in the mouth of a fish during the LIV Golf Bedminster tournament on Sunday, August 9, in New Jersey, and the South African golfer was hit with a penalty stroke as a result.
The incident happened at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster as the 41-year-old prepared to play the seventh hole. His ball landed on the green but spun backward off the putting surface and rolled into a nearby pond.
A fish then surfaced and swallowed the ball, drawing laughter from commentators covering the tournament. One of them said he had never seen anything like it in his life.
The Australian outlet CODE Sports later shared video of the moment on social media, joking in a post that Schwartzel "cod not believe it" as the fish took his ball.
A bogey forced by nature
With no ball left in play, Schwartzel had to take a one-stroke penalty and put a new ball into play, as required under the official rules. The 2011 Masters champion finished the seventh hole with a bogey, one stroke over the hole's par.
The mishap did not define his tournament. Schwartzel closed out the event in 22nd place at two over par, tied with French player Victor Perez.
Niemann takes the New York leg
Chilean golfer Joaquin Niemann won the New York stop with a total score of 16 under par, his ninth individual title since joining the LIV circuit, which competes with the established PGA Tour. Spain's Jon Rahm took the overall individual season standings.
