Andrea Pavan must have been grateful to be near this huge building.
@DPWorldTour/Twitter
We’ve seen “superior beauty” at the highest levels of professional golf – take for example the “Great Wall of Dinah” at the 2020 ANA Inspiration – but this week’s Italian Open may take things to the next level.
The hospitality suites off the 18th hole at the Adriatic Golf Club are literally feet from the putting area, making them perfect for even the most beautiful swings.
Italy’s Andrea Pavan was thankful for them on Saturday, though.
Arriving at the final hole of the day during the third round of the event at 6 under, four back, Pavan missed the fairway with his tee shot and caught a big flight in the light that left it bad. His ball went straight over the flagstick and would have landed just short of the green in the rough. That would leave him with a short sided piece on the left back pin.
Instead, football made a big difference thud as it hits directly into the hospitality suites, it has somehow lost the glass panels around it.
And the ball was never seen again. Well, maybe it was, but Pavan didn’t get it. In most cases, a lost ball would mean that the two-time DP World Tour winner would have to return to where he played the last shot, drop it and play again under a stroke and distance penalty to make up for the lost ball.
But in this case, Pavan and the DP World Tour official decided that Pavan’s ball had in fact disappeared into the visitor’s area, meaning that he would be granted free relief from Temporary Immovable Obstruction. The right decision as Pavan would have easily got his ball if it wasn’t for the suite.
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A similar situation occurred at this year’s Sony Open when Carl Yuan was awarded a free when his ball was not found in the reception area. Only this time, Pavan got a better way to break due to the proximity of the grandstand. It seemed green.
Pavan would be able to throw away one team’s length from the time the ball last landed in the reception area, as he told his playing partners. That meant that his landing ended up being within one club length of the fairway, which was almost one club length from the green to begin with!
His ball landed on the edge of the rink, about 20 feet from the hole.
From there Pavon was able to putt the ball in and he just got his ball into the cup on the final roll for an unexpected birdie.
“That’s the first bride I saw in the… hospitality department,” said the announcer.
The birdie was crucial for Pavan as it took him to seven under, just three off the lead. A third DP World Tour title would be important for the 35-year-old as he regained his DP World Tour status on the Challenge Tour last season.
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