PGA Tour pro Chris Kirk took advantage of a unique golf rule during the third round of the Sony Open.
Kirk, 37, was playing hole No. 9 at Waialae Country Club. It is a par-5 measuring at 509 yards.
On Friday, Jordan Spieth carded a wild bogey on this hole as he inexplicably missed the cut having co-led after the first round.
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If you weren’t aware, the ninth hole plays alongside the driving range. Ordinarily, hitting your golf ball into the range would be out-of-bounds.
But fortunately for Kirk, he was allowed to take free relief.
According to the rules of golf:
“Artificial objects defining or showing out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings, from which free relief is not allowed.”
Howeverthe range at Waialae is protected by a massive net, making it a temporary immovable obstruction.
Peter Jacobsen told us on the broadcast:
“It’s a unique situation, typically the fence would be a boundary that would not get relief from for out-of-bounds, but here at Waialea, short of the range, they play it as a TIO and players get relief.”
Kirk took advantage of this and cultivated a massive hook that started, we’re informed, 60 yards right of the green.
His golf ball settled on the green from all of 204 yards. What a beautiful slinger that was!
WATCH HERE:
Golf shot pic.twitter.com/I0lnFWbQ4r
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 14, 2023
Kirk then two-putted for his birdie on his way to a 2-under par 70. He was two strokes behind the lead going into the final day.
Hayden Buckley slipped on his first 54-hole lead after making two eagles in the third round.
Kirk reflected on his third round by telling the media:
“You know, even when you feel like you’re doing it just right you still might hit 130 yards right out of bounds on the first tee. You never know. It’s a game where every time you think you’ve got it, you don’t.
“I mean, going into tomorrow I just feel like I’m still learning and trying to see how my body reacts to certain things. That was a great feeling today to do that and have it not worry me at all.”
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