The 2023 Open Championship has largely welcomed the typical British weather. Although the winds have been low, the latest visuals promise no guarantee on the greens. With extraneous uncertainty and the major at the forefront, on-course drama is bound to follow. And this week, a 39-year-old PGA Tour pro landed perfectly in the middle of such a situation.

At the 18th hole, during the opening round, this circumstance garnered reactions from the spectators, a disappointed caddie, and a personified blue fence. The American professional golfer also couldn’t help but muster an awkward expression after his decision. And consequently, this guaranteed remarks from golf enthusiasts who were quick to resonate with the golfer’s on-field action!

Former US Open winner and PGA Tour pro finds himself in an awkward position near the 18th hole

Hoylake has been merciless this week! It has provided the golfers with much stability, and for the first two days of the tournament, they have found themselves battling the monstrous links. Amidst these, the golf audience has witnessed a series of “fore” calls and an evidently frustrated reaction from Jon Rahm. Now, the par-5 18th brought to the spectators a display of a misjudged shot.

Interestingly, this hole is surrounded by a temporary blue fence as a boundary between spectators and professionals. Additionally, per the rules of the Open Championship, a professional can get relief (a free drop on the correct side of the fence) given his proximity to the fence. Alas! That was not the case with Gary Woodland!

The 39-year-old was well past the four club lengths that could have allowed him relief, and hence he bore the cost for it. That is, when Woodland took the club to strike the golf ball over the fence, he directed a 3-wood to execute his gameplay. Unfortunately, the attempted shot resulted in the ball clattering off the fence.

Instead of setting out an extra loft to get back into the game, the PGA Tour golfer found himself on the disappointing end of a bizarre decision. Even golfoncbs couldn’t help but comment, “Gary Woodland absolutely nailed a fence today at The Open,” with a nervous emoticon. Fortunately, none of the on-course audience members were injured as the incident unfolded.

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However, the look from Woodland’s caddie and the entire situation drew divergent reactions from golf enthusiasts online. They couldn’t hold back from inquiring about the shot that gave a probable fright to most of the on-course fans.

The golf community inquires about the ruling, as most of them believe it to be a “one of us” moment

As soon as the video went up on social media platforms, it collected a lot of attention from golf fans. The majority of them exclaimed that Woodland’s decision on the greens was a “one of us” occurrence. They chimed in with words and gifs:

A few users on Instagram too had a similar thought and commented, “One of us one of us” and “ONE OF US !”

On the one hand, some of the spectators expressed their disappointment regarding the shot’s implementation. On the other hand, a fan questioned the local ruling concerning the metal barriers. The Twitter handle commented:

The user’s statement was surprisingly true. According to the local rules in operation for The Open, the fencing before and after the TV tower is noted as part of the tower. This made it a temporary, immovable obstruction. This, thus, allows for free relief. Amidst the curiosity about it all, fans also showcased their mortification in connection with the PGA Tour pro’s actions. They said:

One fan, in particular, called it an “unforced error.”

However, the mass mostly contributed toward making the situation a lighthearted one. They commented:

Some of the viewers couldn’t stop themselves from making a remark about the caddie’s expression following the shot:

On Instagram, too, users went on to point out that Woodland’s caddie was not pleased at all. “You can tell the caddie told him not to use that club,” wrote one, while another said, “Caddie is pissed.“

Despite such a decision, Gary Woodland delivered an incredible par at the hole. This, in turn, assisted the golfer in making the cut. Currently, he sits at T39 and still has two more rounds to turn the game around. And while he may be looking to improve his standing by Sunday, one thing both Woodland and his fans will certainly be hoping for is that such a blunder does not repeat itself.

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What do you think of Gary Woodland’s decision near the fence? Do you resonate with your fellow fans? Let us know in the comments!