Justin Thomas penalised for moving ball during third round at RBC Heritage
Justin Thomas gets penalised a shot in the waste bunker, but he’s still in the hunt for a first PGA Tour title since August 2022.
Justin Thomas was penalised a shot for causing his golf ball to move in the waste bunker on the par-5 2nd in the third round of the RBC Heritage.
Thomas, 31, was trying to move some tiny rocks around his ball in the waste area but he called a rules official over because he felt as though he had caused his ball to move.
There was unfortunately no close up footage of the incident, and so it was all down to Thomas to determine whether he felt he had caused his ball to move.
“We tried to find footage but no one has anything,” the rules official told Thomas as he trudged down to the green.
“So I feel like, hate to say it, you said what you were doing with your actions caused your ball to move.
“You still feel that, moving those pebbles so close to the ball caused it to move?”
Thomas replied: “Yeah. That’s fine. One shot yeah?”
The rules official confirmed: “Yes.”
Despite the one-shot penalty, Thomas still went on to save a par.
Watch what happened here (scroll right):
Justin Thomas began the third round with a two-stroke advantage, but by the second hole he’d been pegged back after his playing partner Si Woo Kim birdied the first two holes. Kim kept up the momentum, picking up two more birdies on the front nine to take sole possession of the lead.
The South Korean added birdies at 13 and 15 before suffering his only blemish of the day—a bogey on the 18th when he missed a five‑footer. Kim’s 66 propelled him to 15‑under par, one stroke ahead of Thomas, who closed with a birdie on 18 for a 69.
Thomas shares second place with Andrew Novak, who also posted a 66. Maverick McNealy carded an impressive 65 to climb into solo fourth at 13‑under. England’s Tommy Fleetwood shot 68 and sits at 12‑under in a tie for fifth with 2023 Open champion Brian Harman.
World No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler also carded a 68, moving to 11‑under alongside Russell Henley in a tie for seventh. Scheffler is bidding to become the first golfer since Boo Weekley in 2008 to successfully defend the RBC Heritage.
