Player Strikes Two Golf Balls At Same Time In Bizarre Incident

Golf. It's a sport where the weird and wonderful can happen when you step out on the course. Something surprising often happens when you tackle 18 holes of golf and, at the New Zealand Open, an occurrence took place that even we haven't seen before...

Shae Wools-Cobb had been in contention at Millbrook Resort, but a final round 78 plunged him down the leaderboard and into a tie for 26th. However, that doesn't tell half the story, with the Australian experiencing one of the most bizarre moments of 2023 when, as he struck his wedge shot from an uphill lie, a second golf ball suddenly appeared on impact! 

First posted by FOX's Warren Smith on Twitter (@WarrenSmithFOX), the caption reads: "You never have seen it all in golf, right?!? Shae Wools-Cobb, batting for the @NZOpenGolf title, hits his ball AND another buried underneath it in the rough at Millbrook. Bizarre."

It certainly is bizarre, and it also caused a number of users on Twitter to ask what the ruling for the incident is, especially as it's something which we rarely see on the golf course, let alone in a professional environment. 

Some thought Cobb would be given a two shot penalty, whilst others believed that there would be no penalty for the incident. Well now, under the rules of golf, there is: “No penalty. The player only intended to strike his own ball and therefore a stroke was not made at the unknown abandoned wrong ball.”

To add to the point, Cobb was making a stroke at his own golf ball. Unbeknown to him, another ball was either buried in the turf underneath or next to his. Because the second golf ball was hidden, the Australian's shot was not made at said ball, so no penalty is added to his score.

In the video, Cobb is obviously surprised with what has just taken place, with the commentary team letting out a cry of "oh my goodness!" Thankfully, for the Aussie, his golf ball was the one that finished just right of the green and not a few yards in front of him. Very bizarre indeed!