Matt Wallace's honest penalty brings good karma at Innisbrook
Golfer Matt Wallace called a penalty on himself, then rallied with birdies to make the cut, crediting good karma.
PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Sometimes, karma is a bitch. Other times, it can lead to a string of birdies and a made cut when you do the right thing.
The latter was the case for Englishman Matt Wallace, who called a one-stroke penalty on himself on Friday for moving his ball on the par-5 11 th hole at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course. Wallace hit his tee shot off line and into pine trees to the right of the fairway of the par 5 and his ball came to rest in the pine straw. Caddie Jamie Lane warned him to be careful and hover his club above the ball but little good it did him.
“This one twig was sticking out, and I think when I was waggling the ball definitely moved. So I had to call the referee over. Didn't know whether it was in the action of my swing or anything, but I definitely touched it, and then the ball moved from that.
So I had to replace it,” Wallace said. Wallace was 2-over par at the time and battling the cutline to make the weekend and earn a payday for his efforts. It was one of those moments that happen in golf when nobody else would have seen the ball move, but Wallace did and that was enough, so, he blew the whistle on himself.