WATCH: Web.com Tour Pro Gets Robbed by a Leaf

File this one under: when leaves attack!

Golf is hard … especially when you're playing for a @PGATOUR card. ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/SoyWo6X01q

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) September 24, 2017

Yes, that was an individual leaf rolling across the green, striking Matthew Southgate’s golf ball, and causing him to miss a birdie putt.

Total bummer. But that’s not even the worst of it.

Enter: The convoluted rules of golf.

As it turns out, per the rule book:

*Rule 19 – Ball in Motion Deflected or Stopped*

19-1. By Outside Agency

If a player’s ball in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped by any outside agency, it is a rub of the green, there is no penalty and the ball must be played as it lies, except:

a. If a player’s ball in motion after a stroke other than on the putting green comes to rest in or on any moving or animate outside agency, the ball must through the green or in a hazard be dropped, or on the putting green be placed, as near as possible to the spot directly under the place where the ball came to rest in or on the outside agency, but not nearer the hole, and*

b. If a player’s ball in motion after a stroke on the putting green is deflected or stopped by, or comes to rest in or on, any moving or animate outside agency, except a worm, insect or the like, the stroke is canceled. The ball must be replaced and replayed.

If the ball is not immediately recoverable, another ball may be substituted.

Exception: Ball striking person attending or holding up flagstick or anything carried by him – see Rule 17-3b.

Note: If a player’s ball in motion has been deliberately deflected or stopped by an outside agency:

(a) after a stroke from anywhere other than on the putting green, the spot where the ball would have come to rest must be estimated. If that spot is:*

(i) through the green or in a hazard, the ball must be dropped as near as possible to that spot;*

(ii) out of bounds, the player must proceed under Rule 27-1; or*

(iii) on the putting green, the ball must be placed on that spot.*

(b) after a stroke on the putting green, the stroke is canceled. The ball must be replaced and replayed.*

If the outside agency is a fellow-competitor or his caddie, Rule 1-2 applies to the fellow-competitor. (Player’s ball deflected or stopped by another ball – see Rule 19-5)*

Did you get all that? In other words, if something hits your ball while its rolling across the green, you can actually put the ball back to its original location and putt again.

That’s a very useful rule…if you know said rule exists.

Unfortunately for Southgate, he was unaware of said rule, so he tapped in for par and went on his round.

And in doing so, incurred a two-stroke penalty. Which, again, he was completely unaware of. Which then meant, upon completion of his round, turned in an incorrect scorecard.

Which is another two-stroke penalty.

So rather than an unlucky par due to a leaf blowing across the green. It ended up being a quadruple bogey because “rules.”

It seemed, even though it’s painful to watch, Matt took the whole thing in stride.
https://twitter.com/SouthgateMatt/status/912037297612259328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfdigest.com%2Fstory%2Fyou-wont-believe-how-a-leaf-caused-a-four-shot-penalty-that-may-keep-a-golfer-from-earning-his-pga-tour-card

Chin up indeed, Matt, chin up indeed.

Cover Image via Twitter