WATCH: Si Woo Kim Waits a Minute for Birdie Putt to Fall, Makes Par
- Updated: April 17, 2021
Saturday at the RBC Heritage, Si Woo Kim found himself in yet another relatable situation on the green.
On the par 4 3rd hole, Kim brought out the flat stick from off the back edge and left it on just on the front left lip.
After what some may call a deliberate saunter to the hole, he and his playing partner Matt Kuchar stared very closely at it for nearly a minute. And then, like Stone Cold off the top rope, it dropped for the birdie.
After a low key celebration and some awkward laughter from Kuchar, the group was informed by the rules official that since Kim waited too long, he would be marked down for a par on that hole.
Rule 13-3 states:
“If any part of your ball overhangs the lip of the hole, you are allowed a reasonable time to reach the hole and ten more seconds to wait to see whether your ball will fall into the hole.”
So a couple things are at play here.
First, let’s talk about the “reasonable time to reach the hole.”
It took Kim around 20 seconds to come to grips with the missed putt, gather himself, and walk to the hole. Not setting any speed records there, but Bryson would still be flipping through his greens book in disbelief.
Now let’s talk about the 10 seconds you are allowed to wait once you reach the hole.
Clearly, Kim was well past this mark waiting around 50 seconds before the ball dropped. It all seems pretty cut and dry, right? Kim got caught up in the moment and lost track of time. It happens to the best of us.
But to throw another wrench into the situation, Kuchar proclaimed to the rules official that the ball was moving, which is why he did not play it.
While this seems like a valid point, the mere physics of it seem unlikely. The ball came to rest close enough to the hole that it could drop in – likely within millimeters – and we are saying that it was pretty much in constant motion for 50 seconds before falling?
Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. Either way, mark him down for a par.
Two Inches Short is a place where amateur golfers can unapologetically be themselves. It’s where we can all relate to the greatest game ever played at a level we can all understand.
Sign up today for free and get new posts delivered straight to your inbox + instantly receive 10% OFF your next order to our TIS Lifestyle Shop. Subscribe to our mailing list!
Support our business! Visit our online lifestyle shop! We provide a wide range of creative, original, and high-quality apparel made for the mediocre golfer by the mediocre golfer.
Purchase all of the latest T-shirts, fanwear, headwear, accessories, etc. at our Two Inches Short Pro-Am Shop!
Follow Two Inches Short on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
“Making triple bogey from the middle of the fairway isn’t just about skill, it’s a lifestyle.”
