Akshay Bhatia found some tree trouble on the 13th hole in Round 2 of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and decided to take the safe route into the eighth fairway.
The problem was, the eighth hole was deemed internal out of bounds for those playing No. 13. A rules official approached Bhatia before he could play his third shot and explained to him the situation. “On the sheet it didn’t say that, though,” Bhatia replied to the official. Even the on-air commentator didn’t notice it – at first.
The internal OB rule for hole No. 13 was, in fact, listed at the bottom of the rules sheet, which the official showed to Bhatia. The lefthander had to replay his shot from the trees, following a penalty stroke, and played up the 13th fairway. He then hit a fairway metal to 10 feet but two-putted for double bogey.
The DP World Tour posted the series of events to its Instagram page:
Bhatia, who began on the back nine Friday, closed with a birdie for a 1-over 73. He made the cut at 2 under par, 10 off the 36-hole lead.
