GOLF commentators were stumped by a rarely-seen mishap at the Valspar Championship.
Playing partners Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Isaiah Salinda were approaching the end of their opening round on Thursday when the curiosity unfolded.
Neergaard-Petersen, 26, was faced with a tricky greenside chip shot on the 16th.
Salinda, 29, had a long putt from the other side of the green, meaning their two balls converged on the hole from opposite angles.
And it turned into a calamity when both players hit at the same time.
Neergaard-Petersen tried his luck with a fairway wood and his ball lipped out – only to then be knocked by Salinda’s, which was racing past the hole.
Both players benefited, with Neergaard-Petersen’s ball nudged closer to the hole and Salinda’s stopped in its tracks.
But there were questions about what to do in the interest of fairness.
Main commentator Ned Michaels asked: “What in the world are we to do?”
Sky Sports brought in TV rules guru Orlando Pope, who said: “Normally it’s something you don’t see a lot.
BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK
“Since it was [Neergaard-Petersen’s] turn to play, [Salinda] is going to have to cancel and replay that stroke.
“The ball that he collided with, Neergaard’s ball, which was chipped from off the green, he’s just going to play it as it lies. Very strange.”
Dame Laura Davies added: “Never seen that before. How peculiar. I don’t know why you would replay it. Neergaard’s [ball] has done well out of it.”
Neergaard-Petersen kept his head and posted a -3 opening round to leave him in a tie for seventh at the PGA Tour event in Florida.
Salinda, meanwhile, is tied for 100th on +3.
