The Committee has concluded that Hur Inhoi’s first tee shot on Hole 7 during the 3rd round came to rest out of bounds, based on statements from multiple individuals: the forecaddie, another player’s caddie who witnessed the ball being picked up from out of bounds, a broadcast staff member who observed the situation from a distance of 2-3 meters (6-10 feet), and two on-site referees who agreed that the ball must have been out of bounds based on the circumstances.
However, there were several shortcomings in the process:
- Wrongly advised the player to continue playing the provisional ball as the ball in play - resulting in the player scoring a par instead of a double bogey.
- The penalty of stroke and distance which had been decided to be later applied had not been communicated to the player during his final round.
- The official statement had been delayed, causing further confusion to everyone involved.
We sincerely apologize to all players, officials, families and fans for the inconvenience caused.
In response to this incident, we will strengthen our competition management processes and establish a task force to prevent any similar incidents from recurring, and improve our operational guidelines moving forward.
Korea Golf Association
