Brooks Koepka’s controversial drop ball labels LIV “exhibition golf” as unhappy fans call out the Saudi-backed golfer

Brooks Koepka put LIV Golf back in the headlines thanks to a controversial play at the Houston event being played beginning this Friday, June 7. The play involved a possible rules violation by Koepka.

Koepka was on hole 4 at the Golf Club of Houston, playing from one of the slopes surrounding the green. There, the five-time major champion lifted and repositioned his ball several times, even though it looked perfectly still more than once.

Fans have reacted massively to this situation, most of them criticizing LIV Golf for poor enforcement of the rules.

The X (formerly Twitter) account ‘Flushing It’, which covers world golf, posted the following:

“This drop from Brooks Koepka doesn’t add up to me. That ball looked in play several times but he kept picking it up and then when [Patrick] Reed came over he immediately accepted a stationary ball.”

Another user posted the following:

“I dont recall seeing pro golfers pick up and drop repeatedly like this.”

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Let’s take a look at other reactions on X:

“Don’t play real golf so why follow the rules,” one fan posted.

“Exhibition. Might as well be able to kick out of the trees / long stuff like when I play with my friends,” another user wrote.

“Its ok. Only exhibition golf. Nothing at stake,” another fan posted.

Brooks Koepka has two birdies and one bogey during the first round of LIV Golf Houston. With six holes to play, he is tied for 29th.

What does the rule say about Brooks Koepka’s play?

The rules of golf are clear in establishing a principle that the ball must be played as it lies. Rule No. 9, established by both the R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA) governs everything related to this issue.

The rule provides for a wide range of situations in which the ball may be moved from the spot where it lies, but generally seeks to ensure that it is never lifted. In fact, the possibility of lifting the ball and repositioning it is treated as an ‘exception’.

The exceptions are varied, but some relate to the green, so not related to the situation of Brooks Koepka. Of the exceptions considered for the rest of the course, there is one that allows the player to reposition his ball if he or she has taken a drop and the ball has moved due to natural causes.

In this case, the exception allows the player to place the ball back on the spot where it was dropped. However, it makes it clear that the ball is in play when it is at rest, that is, perfectly still. At that point, it must no longer be lifted and must be played.