Jake Knapp was seething, no doubt about it. Yet, what remained unclear was whether his outburst would cost him a penalty — and potentially a spot in the Mexico Open. Initially, it appeared that might be the case. But a second opinion, courtesy of a video review, offered another perspective.
So, what led to this predicament? It all began with an unfortunate mishit. On Friday, as Knapp reached the final hole of his round at the Vidanta Vallarta course, specifically the 164-yard, par-3 9th, a wayward tee shot landed him in a left greenside bunker. His next attempt barely managed to graze a couple of inches of grass before frustratingly rolling back into the sand. That’s when Knapp’s anger surfaced. He glanced away momentarily, then turned his gaze back toward the ball — and dragged his club through the sand.
But was that move crossing the line?
Initially, a PGA Tour official deemed it so, hitting Knapp with a two-stroke penalty. After subsequently landing his next bunker shot within a foot of the hole and putting in for a triple-bogey six, Knapp found himself at one-under for the tournament — with the cutline eventually settling at three-under.
Interestingly, prior to a 2019 rules amendment, players weren’t allowed to touch the bunker sand with their hand or club at all. However, Rule 12.2b now states:
“Before making a stroke at your ball in a bunker, you must not deliberately touch the sand in the bunker with your hand, a club or rake, or any other object to test the sand conditions or gain information for your next stroke. You must also avoid touching the sand with your club in the area right in front of or right behind your ball (except when fairly searching for your ball or removing a loose impediment or movable obstruction), during a practice swing, or during the backswing for a stroke.
“But, aside from what’s mentioned … the following actions are permitted: digging in with your feet to take a stance for a practice swing or the stroke, smoothing the bunker to care for the course, placing your clubs, equipment, or other objects in the bunker (whether by throwing or setting them down), measuring, marking, lifting, replacing or taking other actions under a rule, leaning on a club to rest, stay balanced, or prevent a fall, or striking the sand in frustration or anger.”
Those last seven words are crucial.
Upon further examination, rules official Ken Tackett and the committee, after rewatching footage — which was also featured on the Golf Channel during their Friday broadcast — decided to retract Knapp’s penalty. This reversal put the defending Mexico Open champion back at three-under, allowing him to make the cut a few hours later.
And yes, that decision didn’t just save his standing — it was also a boost for his wallet.
