Lee Westwood suffers crazy Rules violation at LIV Golf season-opener, leaves broadcasters dumbfounded

Playing an entire tournament “under the lights” always had the potential to create some unusual Rules of Golf situations, particularly with a $20 million prize money payout on the line. But the Rules violation that tripped up Lee Westwood during Friday’s second round of the LIV Golf season-opener in Saudi Arabia had everyone befuddled.

“Well guys,” said LIV analyst Dom Boulet on the broadcast, “we’ve all been playing this game a long time. That’s the first for me.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard that one either, Dom,” echoed David Feherty. “Or heard of it. Most unusual.”

On the par-4 16th hole at Riyadh Golf Club, Westwood was four shots off the lead at 11 under par and in a tie for third place. But then the 51-year-old got a little quick with his driver, pulling his tee shot into a creek that ran down the left side of the hole.

Spotting a ball in the water, Mick Doran, Westwood’s caddie, fished it out. The Englishman, now playing his third shot—or what he believed was his third shot—after taking the drop from the penalty area, hit his ball up on to the green from 181 yards .

But when he got to the putting surface to mark it, Westwood noticed the ball he hit was not actually his. It turned out ball Doran retrieved from the water wasn’t Westwood’s. It was actually a different make and model ball than Westwood was playing that night, so when Westwood hit, he wound up being in violation of the Model Local Rule in place for the event that required golfers to play the same make and model of ball throughout the round.

The result was another penalty shot added to his score. Now putting for bogey from 35 feet, Westwood missed short and right, eventually finishing the hole with a double bogey.

As Westwood was on the green, the broadcast team was trying to explain the situation, learning themselves in nearly real time of the ruling by the referee on the course.

“That’s a dagger to the heart,” Feherty said.

“Yeah,” added Jerry Foltz. “He’s played his tail off for two days, two nights as it is, one bad tee shot, which is so rare for him the way he’s swinging it, and he drops three shots.”

That said, the commentators originally noted that Westwood’s violation of the one-ball rule would cost him two additional shots. That was updated later to be only one shot.

Not surprisingly, Westwood, an original member of the LIV Golf League, appeared dejected by all that was happening as he moved on to the tee on the par-3 17th. Afterall, he shot a seven-under 65 in the opening round on Thursday, his best score in a LIV Golf event since LIV Golf Jeddah in October 2023. (He had just one top-10 finish in a disappointing 2024 season.) And he was four under through 15 holes Friday before the splash on 16.

Westwood then proceeded to make pull that tee shot into a bunker, and failed to get up and down, making a bogey. He would sign for a one-under 71 to wind up at eight under and tied for 11th, eight shots back of leader Adrian Meronk.

Interestingly, if Westwood’s caddie had found the same make and model ball and played it, even though it wasn’t his original tee shot, he would not have been accessed the extra penalty shot. Players are allowed to change out balls whenever taking relief, free or penalty, so playing a new ball would have been fine. The issue was that Westwood now had violated the one-ball rule.

“He’s a seasoned pro," Boulet said. "Probably the first time he’s ever made that mistake.”

And probably will be the last time, too.