David Ford's tee shot on the par-3 17th hole came up short and headed toward the pond in front of the green. The ball lay half-buried in mud at the water's edge. Ford decided to play it as it lay rather than take a one-stroke penalty relief. He hit with one foot submerged in water. The ball struck the slope and rolled back down. Ford hit the ball from the mud again but failed to escape once more. Only then did he take a one-stroke penalty and hit from the drop zone, ultimately recording a quadruple bogey, losing four strokes at once.
The scene unfolded during the first round of the PGA Tour Cognizant Classic ($9.6 million purse) at PGA National Champion Course (par 71) in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Thursday.
Ford's story didn't end there. Starting from the 10th hole, he holed out his second shot on the par-4 second hole, then his third shot on the par-3 third hole also went in for eagle. His luck continued. On the par-4 fourth hole, his shot from a greenside bunker dropped into the cup, saving par.
Ford finished the day with three birdies, two eagles, four bogeys, and one quadruple bogey for a 1-over-par 72, leaving him tied for 68th place. "It was quite a round," he said.