This was the particular bizarre scenario Nelly Korda discovered herself in on the Evian Championship on Sunday, within Évian-les-Bains, France, since the American golfer’s ball — getting only just rolled to a stop — has been picked up by a viewer.
The particular 2021 Women’s PGA Championship winner had made a strong start to the final round from the major, opening along with back-to-back birdies to edge closer to the primary pack. Yet disaster struck at the par-four sixth hole whenever her approach shot skewed off into the trees and settled in the wood chippings along a route for spectators.
Unbeknownst in order to Korda, her circumstance was about to get worse when a nearby fan spotted the golf ball and picked it up. Smiling and increasing it in front of the girl, she then wandered to a nearby official to present her find, apparently unaware that will she’d done anything wrong.
“It’s not really a souvenir! ” stated commentator Grant Boone, in a video contributed on Twitter by Sky Sports activities Golf, adding how the spectator was “in big trouble at this point. ”
The official rapidly approached the viewer and directed the girl back to the area exactly where she had found the ball. There, she dropped it back onto the ground before casting a mortified look at the steward.
Korda was made aware of the particular incident upon coming to the ball plus was afforded a much better lie, but proceeded to double bogey, dropping her back to even par for the round. It was the only double bogey she carded at any from the 72 holes across the event.
The 24-year-old’s initial response to the incident was vehement, with a birdie and an eagle across the following three holes, but her one-over par through the back nine scuppered any chance of her difficult for the championship.
She completed 13-under par for the tournament in combined eighth, four shots behind winner Brooke Henderson. The Canadian surged to her 2nd major title with three birdies throughout the last five openings, edging American Sophia Schubert by one particular shot.