Even the professionals get it disastrously wrong sometimes as demonstrated by Major champions Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson at the HERO World Challenge.
Playing in the first group of the day, the duo unwittingly used the tee markers for the par-3 17th hole to hit their drives down the ninth, unaware that tournament officials had moved the 17th tee markers to where only the ninth tee markers had been all week.
Both players had to return and play three from the tee.
“We kept our heads down off the finishing out on hole No8 and walked to the 9th tee box that we did on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,” said Stenson. “Put the ball down and hit some beautiful tee shots. Then when we went down to the hole, went down to the balls. The rules official said, ‘Did you hit off the right tee box?’ And we’re like, ‘Well, yeah…’ and then we looked back and we saw that there was another one forward and left. So obviously they switched things around and put 17 on the 9th tee box today and 9 was in a different place and we didn’t pay attention being first out and just motoring along. Yes, it was just go back and reload. It was only two shots each, so it wasn’t a big deal.”
Spieth responded: “I think the frustrating part for us now is that every other group, they’re making sure to tell them, but for us they didn’t. It obviously didn’t matter for us, which is fortunate I think for those guys.”
“I teed it up first and it wasn’t my tee,” he added. “So Michael [Greller, his caddie] told me it’s not my tee. Then Henrik hit. Then I teed up too far in front and he told me to scoot back.”
Stenson ended the press conference by adding: “You just spoiled the whole thing,” he chuckled to Spieth. “Like, look at these guys; they don’t know who’s going to hit. Once they figured out who’s hitting, one guy’s trying to tee up in front and then they both hit from the wrong tee box. I guess we got what we deserved.
“Let’s just leave it that a little note on the tee box would have been helpful and I will make sure I tee it up on the right tee box in the future because I don’t think I’ve ever done this before. Have a nice Christmas everyone and we’ll see you in the new year.”
Meanwhile, DP World Tour Championship winner Collin Morikawa blew a five-stroke overnight lead and the chance to move to World No.1 as Viktor Hovland emerged victorious in the Bahamas.