After a short summer break, LIV Golf returned on Friday with LIV Golf Houston and, following a seven-under-par round of 65, it's Martin Kaymer, Adrian Meronk and Caleb Surratt who share the lead.
However, it was a rules' incident during the first round at the Golf Club of Houston that seemed to cause the most attention, with Brooks Koepka involved in a lengthy rules' debacle that you don't see often on the professional circuits.
A closer look at Brooks Koepka's drop on the 4th. #LIVGolf @SmashGC pic.twitter.com/gpaNMoY60ZJune 7, 2024
Starting at the first hole in the shotgun start format, Koepka birdied his opening hole, before two pars followed. But, it was a moment at the par 5 fourth which caught the eye of the LIV Golf broadcast team, with the five-time Major winner finding the water to the left of the green with his approach.
Lined with a steep bank, Koepka and playing partner, Patrick Reed, were involved in a lengthy discussion as to where the ball crossed and, even after it was agreed where Koepka could drop the golf ball, the incident didn't stop there...
As mentioned, the bank around the green meant that, when dropping the ball, it rolled back into the hazard twice. Per the rules of golf, Koepka was allowed to place the ball, but that was easier said than done, with his ball failing to remain stationery as the American replaced it multiple times. Eventually, he was allowed to place it nearby, but no closer to the hole, with Koepka making a bogey following the incident.
Under Rule 14.2e: "If the player tries to replace a ball but it does not stay on its original spot, the player must try a second time. If the ball again does not stay on that spot, the player must replace the ball by placing it on the nearest spot where the ball will stay at rest, but with these limits depending on where the original spot is located: The spot must not be nearer the hole and the nearest spot must be in the general area. Failure to do so, playing the ball from a wrong place, is in breach of Rule 14.2, which is a two-stroke penalty."
Following on from the fourth, Koepka would fire a level-par front nine, with a birdie and eagle at the 12th and 13th moving him to three-under. A bogey at the 14th and birdie at the 15th followed, as a closing bogey at the par 4 18th gave him a two-under round of 70 and a share of 26th spot going into the weekend.
