JERSEY CITY, N.J. – At 3 under through 14 holes, it was starting to feel like a routine day for Scottie Scheffler at The Northern Trust.
Well, routine right up until it wasn’t.
From a tough lie in the rough left of the 15th fairway, Scheffler’s approach shot didn’t come close to finding the green at the par 4, instead ending up in the rough again, about 30 yards short and left of the putting surface. But that wasn’t even Scheffler’s biggest issue; as he approach where his ball had landed, he realized there was a problem.
“It was one I felt like I should’ve found and we didn’t find it,” Scheffler said.
Full-field scores from The Northern Trust
Actually, his ball was found, but there was a question: How long did it take him?
“We thought it was after 3 minutes, so...” Scheffler said.
After consulting with PGA Tour rules official Gary Young, Scheffler played two balls, one from the spot where he found his ball and the second from the previous spot. Following the round, Scheffler and Daniel Berger, who he was paired with, agreed Scheffler had taken longer than the 3 minutes that players are allowed to look for a golf ball (Rule 18.2).
“We talked about it,” Scheffler said. “We couldn’t figure it out. They didn’t have ShotLink data or anything, so just went with it was over 3 minutes. Just too long.”
Scheffler ended up counting a lost ball and the replay of his second shot, which found the green and led to a two-putt double bogey. He finished with a 1-under 70 for a share of 25th place when he completed his round.