Golf Ball of 'Son Heung-min's Teammate' at Golf Tournament Snatched Away by Dog

A Dog Runs Onto the Green During a Golf Tournament
Grabs Gareth Bale's Chip Shot and Runs to Its Owner
Cute vs. Nuisance... Netizens Divided

Son Heung-min and former Welsh footballer Gareth Bale (left), with a dog biting and running away with the ball kicked by Bale. [Photo source=Tottenham Hotspur X capture, X screenshot]

During a European professional golf tour pro-am event, a dog ran onto the course and ran away carrying a ball hit by footballer Gareth Bale.

On the 6th (local time), the British daily The Telegraph reported that this incident occurred during the third round of the DP World Tour Alfred Dunhill Links Championship held on the 5th at the Carnoustie Links in Scotland.

At the time, Bale, a former Welsh national football team player well known domestically as a teammate of Son Heung-min, successfully made a chip shot (a shot that rolls the ball low without much loft to get it close to the hole) to within 3 meters of the hole from a mound near the green.

However, at that moment, a dog suddenly ran onto the green. The dog interpreted Bale’s chip shot as a ‘play situation’ and ran onto the field to retrieve the ball. The dog ran from near Bale, grabbed the ball in its mouth, and headed back to its owner. The video footage captured the voices of the owner and spectators at the scene shouting "No" and "Come back."

Bale was unable to retrieve the ball, but according to golf rules allowing players to place another ball where the original ball landed and continue play, he was able to resume the game. Bale finished the round at 19 under par.

Cute vs. Nuisance... Mixed Reactions from Netizens

A dog is running away with a chip shot ball covered in veil in its mouth. [Video source=X capture]

The video of the dog carrying away Bale’s golf ball has been widely shared on various social media platforms, attracting significant attention. The video posted on the official DP World Tour X (formerly Twitter) account surpassed 400,000 views as of the afternoon of the 7th.

However, netizens’ reactions were divided. Some commented, "The dog carrying the golf ball is so cute," while others criticized the dog owner for watching the event offleash (without a leash). They expressed concerns such as, "What if a biting accident had occurred?" "This is a clear nuisance," "Really selfish," and "Did they apologize?"