Golf Rules Blunders: When a Simple Mistake Leads to Laughter (and a Little Bit of Hate)
You know those moments on the golf course. The ones where you screw up, and it’s so obviously your fault, so monumentally dumb, that all you can do is laugh. Or maybe curse. Or maybe both. And if you’re Haotong Li, you’re looking back at a moment from the 2019 Presidents Cup, and yeah, you’re still laughing. But you also remember thinking, “Damn it, man. I hate him.”
He’s talking about Justin Thomas, by the way. And Rickie Fowler. And a rules official. And himself, mostly himself. Li was a guest on “The Smylie Show” podcast, and he decided to relive a little slice of Presidents Cup history from Royal Melbourne. It was Saturday, his first match of the event. First time in the Presidents Cup. He was excited. Ready to go. Playing with his partner, Marc Leishman, against the formidable American duo of Thomas and Fowler.
The Setup: Trees, Trouble, and a Tiny Gap
So, the scene is set. Hole number 2. A par-4, if memory serves. And Li, eager to make his mark, looking for a way to attack. He finds the trees. Not ideal. But there’s a gap. A small one. He thinks, “I can punch this out. Get it back in play. Keep the momentum.” He’s playing fast, you know? Ready golf. That’s the vibe. He’s feeling it. He hits the shot.
And here’s where it gets interesting. Because in match play, things are a little different. Thomas was away on the hole. Now, there’s no penalty for playing out of turn. Nobody’s going to throw you out of the tournament for that. But, and this is a big BUT, Rule 6.4a(2) comes into play. It gives the player who was *supposed* to be away the option. They can ask you to play it again. And that’s exactly what happened.
"Literally That [Expletive] Made Me Play That Again."
Li, recounting the story, couldn’t help but chuckle. He interrupted himself, the memory still vivid. “That sucks, man,” he said. “I hate him.” He was joking, of course. Mostly. But you could hear the slight sting of it. He was young, new to this level of competition, and he genuinely didn’t know the rule. He was just playing golf. Fast golf.
Smylie Kaufman, the host, is digging into it. “So, Haotong, what does Justin then say next to you…?”
Li’s response is pure, unadulterated frustration, even years later. “Literally that [expletive] made me play that again.”
Imagine that. You hit a shot you think is pretty good, a smart recovery. You’re excited. You’re in the zone. And then you’re told, “Nope. Do it again.” Because of a rule you didn’t even know existed. It’s enough to make you want to throw your club into the nearest water hazard. Or maybe just stare blankly at the ground in disbelief.
The Rules Official Steps In: A Lesson in Match Play
Kaufman presses further. “Where did you hit the first shot? Did you hit it back in play?”
Li explains. “Well, I hit a perfect shot through the small gap…” He pauses, thinking back. “And I thought, you know, for someone only play — I’m the only guy in the team played twice. At least other guys played three times. So first game for me and I’m so excited and I don’t know exact — I don’t know nothing about that rule, you know. Now I learn.”
This is the crux of it, isn’t it? The learning curve in golf. Especially at the highest level. You think you know the game, you think you know the rules, but then you get thrown into a situation like this. Thomas, knowing the rules, saw an opportunity. And he took it. Fowler, his partner, was in on it too. They were a united front. And Li, the outsider, the rookie, was caught in the crossfire.
“And I was like, OK, let’s — because I like to play quick, I play ready golf. And then one time in the trees.”
Kaufman confirms. “You did.”
Li continues, the story unfolding with a mix of exasperation and amusement. “Yeah, I did. And then the boss look at me like, ‘Haotong, I don’t think you can play that one.’ And I said, ‘What do you mean?’ JT goes, ‘This is match play.’ I said, ‘Yeah, what do you mean?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, you’re going to play again.’ I was like, ‘What the [expletive] you talking about?’”
And then, the ultimate confirmation. The authority. The rules official. Kaufman asks, “And did a rules official say, yeah, Haotong, you got to hit again?”
Li’s reply is a resigned sigh. “Yeah, and rules official came in and involves that and goes, “Oh, you got to play again.”
The Punchline: Another Tree, More Laughter
So, what happens next? Li has to re-tee. He’s already hit one shot into the trees. He’s feeling the pressure. He’s probably a bit rattled. And he’s just been told he has to do it all over again. What does he do? He hits it into the trees. Again.
This is where the story turns from pure frustration to pure comedy. The very thing he was trying to avoid, the very situation that prompted the rule application, happens again. And Thomas and Fowler? They lost it. “Guess what? Hit the tree. And they’re both laughing so bad at me.”
You can just picture it. The sheer absurdity of it all. Li, trying to be clever, trying to play fast, ends up in the same predicament. And his opponents, who just enforced a rule to put him there, are howling with laughter. It’s golf. It’s match play. It’s brutal, and it’s hilarious, all at once.
The Aftermath: Friendship Forged in Rules Infractions
But here’s the kicker. The part that makes this story more than just a tale of a rules blunder. It’s about the camaraderie of golf. Despite the momentary frustration, despite the penalty, despite the laughter at his expense, Li holds no grudges. He says they’re friends now. Thomas and Fowler. He’s moved on. He learned his lesson. And he can laugh about it.
This incident, while a bit of a hiccup for Li at the time, became a memorable moment. It’s a testament to the sportsmanship that often prevails, even in the heat of intense competition. It’s a reminder that at the end of the day, golf is a game. A game with complex rules, sure, but a game nonetheless. And sometimes, the best way to navigate those complexities is with a sense of humor. Even if it means a little bit of self-deprecating laughter, and a playful, “I hate him.”
It’s a great story, and it highlights how much there is to learn in golf, even for the pros. Rules can be a minefield, and match play adds another layer of strategy and potential for… well, for exactly this kind of situation. If you’re looking to brush up on your own understanding of the Rules of Golf, the official R&A website is a great resource. They’ve got guides, explanations, and all sorts of handy information that can save you from a similar fate. You can check out their resources here: R&A Rules of Golf.
So, the next time you find yourself in a tricky spot, remember Haotong Li. Remember the trees, the laughter, and the lesson. Play smart. Play by the rules. And if you do mess up? Well, try to laugh. It’s probably the best way to handle it. And who knows, you might even make a new friend in the process.