Watch: Sam Burns gets no relief after gravity-defying bunker shot, expresses frustration post-round

Burns’ ball defied logic.

GULLANE, Scotland — Sam Burns would like a word with Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein to discuss gravity, the theory of relativity and just how in the world his golf ball managed to defy the law of physics, let alone logic, and stay in the revetted face of a nasty fairway bunker on the 10th hole during the third round of the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open.

“Never seen anything like it,” Burns told Golfweek after the round.

A wayward tee shot on the par-5 at The Renaissance Club caught the fairway bunker, and the 26-year-old American attempted to hit a wedge to safety but caught it a groove low and flew it into the steep lip of the bunker. Rather than embed in the sod, it came out of its pitch mark, but somehow didn’t roll back in the sand, hanging on by a thread.

Burns called for a ruling and a lengthy discussion ensued. Apparently, it embedded into new sod but since it wasn’t in a seam, relief wasn’t granted.

After the round, PGA Tour rules official Steve Rintoul, who had been one of two officials on the scene, spoke to Burns, who expressed his frustration, as they rehashed the situation for more than 10 minutes.

“In my opinion, I think it should’ve been relief,” Burns said, noting his disappointment that DP Tour chief referee Mark Litton made the final ruling over walkie talkie without being on the scene. “Just because there was some there that was different than anywhere else on the golf course.”

Brian Harman, one of the competitors in Burns’s threesome, agreed.

“Sam didn’t have footing to hit the shot. That top part should’ve been ground under repair. He got really unlucky.”

From an awkward stance, Burns took a hack with his gap wedge and couldn’t blast out of the bunker.

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The worst of it was behind him, but when all was said and done, it added up to the dreaded snow man. The triple bogey dropped Burns, who began the day two strokes off the lead at 8 under, out of contention. He shot 71 and enters the final round T-18 and trailing by six strokes.

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