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Free drop: Larrazabal shot finds spectator’s legs

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 17: Justin Rose of England hits his second shot on the 2nd hole during the second round of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 17, 2017 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

This has been a strange year for Pablo Larrazabal.

The Spaniard got off to a strong start with a win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January, besting a field that included Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson. His season took a detour, though, when a swarm of hornets forced him to jump into a lake in the middle of his round at the Maybank Malaysian Open.

Things once again took a bizarre turn for Larrazabal Thursday at the BMW PGA Championship, where his approach to the par-5 18th hole somehow ended up wedged between a spectator’s legs. At this point, you couldn’t fault the Spaniard for considering the notion that the golf gods might be conspiring against him:

Larrazabal did not, in fact, play his shot from the man’s backside, and instead made a par after taking a free drop to close out an opening 3-under 69. He was tied for 14th when play was suspended because of darkness, seven shots behind leader Thomas Bjorn.