We’re sending ALL the rules folks from the European Tour deep into the Dog House.
On Sunday, Haotong Li routinely sank a short birdie putt on the 72nd hole to finish in a tie for third behind champion Bryson Dechambeau at the Dubai Desert Classic.
But wait — in the most epic rip-off/injustice/mistreatment of the new season, the rules officials hit Li with a two-shot penalty, deeming that his caddie did not get out of the way soon enough while reading the putt and said caddie was deemed to have aided Li in lining up said short birdie putt.
No how, no way, did that take place. The video clearly shows Li’s caddie exiting before Li got locked and loaded.
They said Li had begun to take his stance, which is totally debatable.
The two shots moved Li from a tie for third to a T12.
Cost him $100,000.
Li had plenty of support:
Peter Alliss: “This is an absolute pig’s dinner of a decision.”
Matt Wallace: “Ridiculous to say that’s alignment.”
Paul McGinley: “This is ridiculously marginal.”
Graeme McDowell: “Shocking given they were timing Bryson (DeChambeau) on a calendar by the end.”
Overall, it was indeed a travesty.
