PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Aaron Baddeley’s day was already going in the wrong direction when he dropped his third ball on the par-3 17th hole after rinsing his tee shot and the ensuring attempt from the drop area.
The Australian reloaded for a third time, hit his fifth shot to 18 feet from where he two-putted for what he thought was a quadruple bogey-7. From there things only got worse and not just because he bogeyed the final hole.
Officials reviewed the second drop and determined Baddeley had violated Rule 20-2, which states a player must hold a ball at shoulder height and at arm’s length when taking a drop, and he was told to add a shot to his score on the 17th hole.