Ryo Hisatsune faced a high-stakes ruling at the PGA Championship after a clumsy mistake on the putting green. While the incident mirrored a costly error from his past, the outcome in Pennsylvania hinged on a specific 2019 rule change.

Hisatsune accidentally hit his ball with a dropped club during the first round of the PGA Championship while changing clubs on the putting green, but unlike last year at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, officials ruled that there would be no penalty.

Rule 13.1d clearly covers this situation. If a ball is accidentally moved on the putting green, no matter the method, there is no penalty. The ball needs to be replaced on the original spot.

The United States Golf Association and The R&A introduced the rule during their 2019 Rules of Golf update. Before that change, accidental ball movement on the putting green could cost a player a stroke. The revision completely removed that penalty for incidents on the green.

A similar incident off the green still carries a one-shot penalty, which had previously cost Ryo Hisatsune a stroke. This time, however, the ruling went in his favor, and he responded with a 3-under 67 to finish tied for the lead alongside golfers Scottie Scheffler, Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger, and Alex Smalley.

He is also known for his putting routine: taking a sip of water through a straw while his caddie holds the bottle.

"I felt a little nervous with some putting and short game," Hisatsune said of the routine. "So I asked my caddie, Can I have a drink of water? And now it’s my routine and I’m more relaxed."

However, the location of his feet one year earlier told a very different story.

The Mistake Cost Hisatsune at the 2025 Australian Open

During the final round of 2025 Crown Australian Open at Royal Melbourne, he accidentally dropped his club on the eighth hole.

His caddie, Taiga Tabuchi, had just handed him his wedge when the club slipped through his fingers, struck the ball, and sent it skittering away. He was off the green, deciding which club to use for his third shot on the long par-4.

Under Rule 9.4b, he received a one-stroke penalty and was told to return the ball to its original position. He chipped onto the green and made double bogey, his first of two such scores on the day. He finished that week tied for 51st at 6-over.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav