Golf commentators ask 'What do we do?' after incredibly rare ruling

Golf commentators were briefly left confused after an unusual incident on day one of the Valspar Championship.

The event is one of the final PGA Tour tournaments before the Masters takes place from April 8, and a majority of the highest-ranked players have entered.

South Korea's Sungjae Im took an overnight lead on eight-under-par, with Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick and Jordan Spieth among those to enjoy solid under-par days.

Another player who had a strong opening round was Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who ended his first 18 holes on three-under-par.

Neergaard-Petersen, who turned professional in 2023, encountered a bizarre moment alongside playing partner Isaiah Salinda on the 16th hole.

His second shot landed narrowly short of the green, meaning the Dane had a lengthy putt for birdie.

The putt missed the hole, instead clipping the flag and landing around 10ft away for par.

But both players had inadvertently played their shots towards the flag at the exact same time - and the two balls collided with each other.

The end result saw Neergaard-Petersen's ball be nudged closer to the hole, while the impact meant that Salinda's ball, which had been rolling towards the edge of the green, stopped in a similar place.

Neergaard-Petersen & Salinda putt at same time, and their balls collide! 👀 pic.twitter.com/i3yZ1whjLi

— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) March 20, 2026

Commentator Ned Michaels, for Sky Sports, said: "What in the world are we to do?"

What followed were extensive discussions between both players and their caddies, before a PGA Tour official had to get involved.

His co-commentator stated: "If the ball wasn't played from the putting green, he [Salinda] would have played it as a lie. Since the ball was played from the putting green, he's going to have to cancel and replay that stroke.

"The ball it collided with, Neergaard-Petersen's ball, he'll just play it as it lies."

Neergaard-Petersen would eventually hole his fourth shot for par, before ending his opening day with a bogey on 17 followed by a birdie on the 18th and final hole.

The Dane won his first European Tour event in December, taking victory at the Crown Australian Open by a single shot ahead of Cameron Smith.

He finished in a tie for 12th at his maiden US Open last year, and has been invited to play in the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National.