Two PGA Tour Winners Penalized for Wrong-Ball Mistake

Brian Campbell and Tom Kim, both PGA Tour winners, were penalized two strokes after mistakenly playing each other’s balls during the Mexico Open. The error occurred on the par-4 ninth hole, their final hole of the day.

According to Golf Digest, both players hit their approach shots into the same greenside bunker. Each then played the other’s ball out of the sand, only realizing the mix-up once they reached the green.

Upon consulting a rules official, Campbell and Kim were informed they had violated Rule 6.3c(1), which addresses playing a wrong ball during stroke play. This rule imposes a two-stroke penalty and invalidates any shots played with the incorrect ball.

The pair corrected their mistake, but the error led to double bogeys and a final round score of 68. They finished at 7-under, remaining comfortably within the cut line but two strokes worse than they might have been.

Golf Channel analyst Brendon de Jonge emphasized the avoidable nature of the mistake, noting that players must be vigilant when in a bunker to identify their own ball. The incident highlights how even top-tier golfers can make critical errors under pressure.

Campbell and Kim are tied for 26th place, seven shots behind leader Andrew Novak. While the blunder was a rare occurrence for the pair, it is not the first time PGA Tour players have faced similar penalties for playing the wrong ball.