Folks, We Have a Rules Controversy at the Arnold Palmer Invitational

Wyndham Clark cruised to an opening-round 5-under 67 around Bay Hill Club and Lodge and slept on a two-shot lead. Pretty good way to start his week.

But on the third hole Friday, Clark’s drive landed in the fairway, skipped out of its pitch mark, and came to rest in a different one. His ball was sitting down, which was going to make his upcoming wedge shot extremely difficult.

However, when the camera panned to Sam Burns hitting his approach shot, a tee was in the ground where Clark’s ball was—meaning he was taking relief.

Rich Pierson, director of TV rules and video, joined ESPN+’s PGA TOUR LIVE coverage and said Clark wasn’t eligible for relief.

“Wyndham’s ball did not embed. His ball bounced and it landed—it rolled into somebody else’s pitch mark,” Pierson said. When asked if Clark can take relief from that position, Pierson replied, “He would not be allowed relief from someone else’s pitch mark.”

The rules of golf are confusing, no doubt. But when your ball rolls into someone else’s divot in the fairway, you’re not allowed relief. It sounds like the same thing applies here. We’ll see if Clark is issued a penalty.

Update: Pierson joined the broadcast several holes later and said they determined Clark's ball came to rest in its own pitch mark. No penalty.