[Golf Rules... Knowledge Is Power] When You Run Out of Balls

Kim Mingyu Withdraws During Second Round of Kolon Korea Open
Uses Up All Six Balls Prepared, Forced to Abandon Round
Possible to Continue If Same Brand and Model Ball Is Obtained

Golf does not have referees. It is known as a "gentleman's sport" in which golfers play by following the rules themselves. The rules of golf are designed as "assistants" to help players during the game. If you know them well and use them appropriately, they can be extremely helpful for managing your score. These are golf rules that weekend golfers must know.

Kim Mingyu is teeing off in the second round of the Kolon Korea Open. Photo by Kolon Korea Open Organizing Committee

Kim Mingyu withdrew during the second round of the Kolon Korea Open. On May 23, after finishing the 9th hole of the second round held at the Dunes Course (par 71) of La Vie Est Belle Country Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, he decided to quit the tournament. He explained, "I used up all the balls I had, so I could not continue playing."

Defending champion Kim Mingyu shot a 10-over-par 81 the previous day, and on this day, starting from the 10th hole and playing through the 18th, he lost 8 strokes over 9 holes, recording one triple bogey, two double bogeys, and one bogey. In the process, he lost six balls to out-of-bounds areas and water hazards, so by the time he finished the 9th hole, all six balls he had brought were gone. With Kim Mingyu's withdrawal, the attempt for a third Kolon Korea Open victory after Han Jangsang and Kim Daesub, as well as the challenge for back-to-back Korea Open wins for the first time in nine years since Lee Kyunghoon's victories in 2015 and 2016, ended early.

The rules of golf stipulate that a player must use the same brand and model of ball for the entire 18-hole round. This is known as the "one-ball rule." If a player runs out of balls, they may borrow one from a fellow competitor or purchase more from a pro shop within the golf course. It is also permissible to receive help from spectators.