We’ve all had those days on the golf course where nothing seems to go right. Most of the time, you are unsure whether to laugh or cry, with putts burning the edges, the center of the club face being non-existent, or a bad break that sets up the round to be an abrupt car crash.
At the DS Automobiles Italian Open, Julien Brun, a three-time winner on the Challenge Tour, endured a chaotic round which saw two rules’ violations, four double bogeys, six bogeys and two birdies at the Ryder Cup venue, Marco Simone GC.
So, where do we begin? Well, it is worth noting that the Frenchman did take the round in good jest, as he posted to his social media afterwards a very funny message which read: “83 today! I sucked (crying laughter emoji). 2 penalty strokes for lifting the ball on the fairway… did it twice on my first 6 holes. Lost 4 balls (3 holes in a row). Missed 3 putts inside 5 ft.”
His message then finished with the line: “But laughed a lot out there and I’m looking forward to my 7.10am tee time to play some good golf tomorrow.” In the end, Brun finished dead last on Sunday, as he carded a 75 to finish two behind Renato Paratore in second last.
During the first two rounds, players were allowed to ‘lift, clean and place’ but, over the weekend, that rule did not apply. Reportedly, the DP World Tour had informed players and caddies about the change, with it seeming that Brun wasn’t told as he was docked two penalty strokes for lifting his ball on the fairway, something that was done twice in the first six holes.
After his fourth round had finished, the 31-year-old then tweeted: “A bit better today! No penalty strokes…we improved!” as he fired a four-over 75 to finish the event with a 15-over-par tournament total.