Here's what Sahith Theegala's self-imposed penalty ultimately cost him (hint: it's 7 figures!)

Honesty is the best policy, so the saying goes, but in professional golf, it also sometimes come with a heavy price, as in the case of Sahith Theegala.

In the third round of the Tour Championship, Theegala called a penalty on himself, saying in his backswing from a bunker on the third hole at East Lake Golf Club he brushed the sand, a violation of Rule 12.2b, testing the sand. It was imperceptible, even to NBC Sports analyst Kevin Kisner, who suggested that at the end of the round he should demand from PGA Tour officials to give him his two strokes back.

"Intuition, it felt like I moved the sand," Theegala said. "It was sitting in my mind. If I went back after the round, looked that up and found out that it was a two-shot penalty, I would be DQ'd right now. So I am glad I brought it up right away. I know the rules of golf a little bit better now. There is a lot of silly stuff you can do in the bunker. You can chuck a club in the bunker ... you can use your golf club as a stand in the bunker. As long as it's not right next to your ball.

"There's a lot of things you can do. But unfortunately if it's in the area affecting the lie and the swing of your shot, regardless of intent, it's a two-shot penalty."

A PGA Tour official, reviewing the video after Theegala’s round, concurred that he had brushed the sand, a two-stroke penalty that cost him this much: $2.5 million. He made $7.5 million for his third-place finish on Sunday, though with two fewer shots he would have earned $10 million and tied Collin Morikawa for second place. Theegala shot 67-66-66-64. Again, the third-round 66 was with the two-shot penalty added.

The truth hurts.