Last Friday during the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Wyndham Clark wrapped up a round with a one-under 71. As he finished up at the scoring area, a rules official approached and hinted that the media might have some questions about his play on the par-4 3rd hole.
Clark, puzzled by this, recalled the hole clearly. “I mean, on the 3rd? I drove it right down the fairway, hit it on the green, and just two-putted,” Clark expressed. “What could possibly be the issue?” The official then mentioned, “It’s about your drop.”
Fortunately for Clark, it turned out everything was above board, and he hadn’t breached any rules. Although there was a moment of controversy swirling during the broadcast, it quickly dissipated.
The incident unfolded after Clark’s tee-off on Bay Hill’s 3rd hole, where viewers saw his ball bounce on the fairway. It settled close to where it first landed. However, when the cameras returned, Clark was seen marking the ball and preparing to drop it. Under the rules, this would only be permissible for a free drop if the ball had embedded in its own pitch mark. A penalty would arise if it landed in someone else’s.
As the situation unfolded, Rich Pierson, who oversees the PGA Tour’s rules and video, clarified on-air: “Wyndham’s ball didn’t embed. It bounced and dropped into another player’s pitch mark.”
This revelation suggested Clark might be penalized. Yet, six holes later, Pierson came back on air to announce there would be no penalty against Clark.
“Utilizing television footage and our ShotLink cameras,” Pierson explained, “we confirmed the ball ended up back in its original pitch mark. Therefore, Wyndham is in the clear.”
During the Players Championship press interactions, Clark shared his thoughts on the ordeal. “I’ve got a few things to say about that rule,” Clark noted. “When shown the review, I thought, how are players supposed to know? We were over 300 yards out, and couldn’t see the ball bounce. We arrived, found it plugged, and I followed the embedded ball procedure.”
His grievance was about the potential for penalties in such situations. “Nobody informed us, and if the ruling had penalized me, how would that be fair?” Clark continued. “The complexity of these rules is baffling. If the volunteers are unaware and can’t tell me, and I get penalized for something beyond my perception, it doesn’t sit right.”
But in the end, Clark was relieved the correct decision was reached, as he never intended any foul play—just doing what seemed right by the rules.
He concluded the Arnold Palmer Invitational at an even par, tying for 22nd place. Clark will tee off at the Players Championship at 8:46 a.m. ET Thursday, starting from the 10th, alongside Jason Day and Jordan Spieth. For those keen on following the action, detailed first-round tee times are readily available.
