Phil takes 2-shot penalty for hitting moving ball

As he played the 366-yard par-4 13th hole on Saturday, Mickelson, 10 over par (and four over his last five), ran into some trouble.

After hitting the fairway with his tee shot, Mickelson’s approach shot ran over the back of the green, and then his chip scampered past the hole and off the front edge.

He chipped it from there to a point 18 feet past the hole. Then things got really bizarre.

As his bogey putt rolled past the hole, it started to pick up speed. As it headed toward a steeper slope,

Mickelson broke into a jog, caught up to the ball and hit it back towards the hole with his putter before it could roll all the way down the slope.

 

 

Phil Mickelson’s adventure on the 13th hole at Shinnecock Hills in the third round of the U.S. Open on

Saturday will go down as one of the odder moments of his Hall of Fame career.

The six-time U.S. Open runner-up jogged after his ball after missing a putt on the 13th green and

struck it before it stopped moving — incurring a two-stroke penalty under Rule 14-5 for hitting a ball in motion —

and walked off the hole with a bogey 10.

He shot an 11-over 81. On his 48th birthday, no less.

 

 

Mickelson shared a laugh with playing partner Andrew “Beef” Johnston as they walked off the green.

Johnston said he wasn’t offended by Mickelson’s actions.

“One of the rules officials informed him of our decision, informed him that it was a two-stroke

penalty and he said, ‘Thank you,’ and moved ahead with his round,” Bodenhamer said.