Eddie Pepperell was disqualified from the Turkish Airlines Open after running out of balls in a moment that resembled the cult golf movie Tin Cup.
Pepperell found the water on the fourth hole at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal as many as five times, with his score at that stage of the tournament at level par.
The English player failed to ask for a spare from playing partners Martin Kaymer or George Coetzee, which would have incurred an additional two-stoke penalty, in the bizarre moment. The world No 47 appeared to lose his head long before hitting his balls in the water, having putted on the third hole with his wedge instead of his putter.
Pepperell was officially thrown out of the Antalya tournament for ”failure to complete a hole”, and Kaymer provided insight into the moment of madness.
“Eddie hit his shots to the green, then came over to tell us he had run out of balls,” said a stunned Kaymer.
“Then he walked off. I thought he lost four or five. We are about 80 percent sure it was five, 20 percent four. He was quick, so it was hard to keep track. He did not ask if he could borrow one from me or George.
“It did not look like he wanted to play. He did not putt with his putter on the third hole; he putted with a wedge. So there was a lot happening.
“I have never seen anything like that before. I only watched it on television, in ‘Tin Cup.’ This is the first time I have seen it live.”
Pepperell entered the week 41st in the Race to Dubai, with the top 60 players entered into the European Tour’s finale at the DP World Tour Championship. Matthias Schwab leads after three rounds at -18.
