NBC Sports
While it remains to be seen if this week’s Chevron Tournament winner will jump into the “New Poppies Pond,” one player is thrilled he has already jumped from one of the lakes in Carlton Woods.
And we are not talking about Angel Yin herself, we mean her ball!
On the 12th hole during Saturday’s third round, Yin’s putt on the par 3 appeared to be headed for the lake guarding the green and front pin position.
“This has got to go,” said NBC’s Karen Staples.
*splash*
What happened next was even more incredible for Yin, who was in a tie for fourth at the time, with only two appearances from Megan Khang and Alison Corpuz in seventh.
Her ball hit something below the surface of the lake and bounced back into play, just outside the penalty area, a short distance from the green.
The announcers were dumbfounded. The only conclusion they came to, given how the water seemed not to be very shallow in the area, was that the ball had hit a turtle.
“It must have hit a turtle,” said Staples, amazed at what had just happened.
“I hope it doesn’t,” said play-by-play man Terry Gannon. “I hope it’s okay, put it that way.”
“That’s what I was thinking too, Karen,” added analyst Morgan Pressel. “Go buy a lottery ticket or something.”
Later, as the group got up to the green, Staples stated that she looked down into the puddle where the ball fell but could not see anything that might cause it to bounce.
Undeterred, Yin almost pulled the unimaginable back. Her pitch from the bank almost caught the left lip of an unexpected bird, but it rolled a few feet away.
“One thing about Angel, she’s always laughing,” Brissel said. “But that will make her smile bigger.”
Yin flicked the ball after that and couldn’t stop smiling as she walked over the green.