American amateur: Segundo Oliva Pinto loses after touching caddy sand (video)

That’s an amateurish mistake

A golfer who competed in the round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur Championships in Oregon was eliminated Thursday after losing his game on the last hole – not because of everything he did, however.

Segundo Oliva Pinto was tied with Tyler Strafaci upside down in the final hole and put his third shot on the par-5 hole in a greenside bunker. Oliva Pinto could still get up and down to save par, but instead missed the hole automatically due to the actions of his caddy.

The caddy stepped into the bunker and brushed the sand with his hand. This is a violation of USGA Rule 12.2 (b), which states that you “should not knowingly touch sand in the bunker with your hand, club or ear like any other object to test the condition of the sand and information. The same goes for the player’s caddy, who could pass the information on to the player. In stroke play, it’s a two-stroke penalty. In match play, you automatically forget the hole. Since Oliva Pinto and Strafaci were tied, the blunder gave the victory to Strafaci.