A Caddie Touching The Sand Caused His Player To Lose A U.S. Amateur Match

There have been a number of rule changes in golf that have aimed to give players a touch more leeway for accidental errors rather than being brutally penalizing, but a rule that has never changed is that a player — or his caddie — cannot test the sand in a bunker.

The most famous application of this rule came in the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits where Dustin Johnson grounded his club in a sandy area on the 18th hole that, while it didn’t look like a bunker, was treated as one by the local rules. That led to a two-stroke penalty and, as such, he fell out of a tie for the lead and did not make it into a playoff. That example has led to players at all levels being extra careful when in the sand, but an even wilder ending took place at this year’s U.S. Amateur at Bandon Dunes.

Agustin Segundo Oliva Pinto and Tyler Strafaci arrived at the 18th hole tied in their Round of 16 match when Oliva Pinto found the front right greenside bunker. As he was getting set to pick a club and figuring out how to play his shot, his caddie inexplicably walked into the bunker, bent down, and rubbed the sand with his hand — a violation of the rules that was captured very clearly on camera.

In match play, the penalty is the loss of the hole, which meant Strafaci got the 1 UP win without them completing the hole. What made it all the more bizarre was the caddie attempting to lie about touching the sand to the rules officials when this was televised on Golf Channel with multiple angles showing he clearly did. Ultimately they ruled correctly he had broken the rule, the penalty was assessed, and Oliva Pinto’s week at Bandon Dunes came to an unfortunate and rather stunning end.