Overview
- Television cameras captured a fish surfacing and appearing to swallow Charl Schwartzel’s tee shot on the par‑3 seventh at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster before the ball was taken into the pond.
- Because the ball had entered a penalty area, Schwartzel took relief with a one‑stroke penalty, made a bogey on the hole, and finished the tournament two‑over par.
- The video was widely shared on social media and prompted heavy online reaction and jokes about course wildlife and the unusual nature of the sighting.
- Coverage noted a separate, visually similar clip posted by Southern Guards GC attributed to Louis Oosthuizen, producing some confusion over whether the videos showed distinct incidents.
- Reporters explained the rules that apply when animals move a ball and placed the moment in tournament context, including Joaquín Niemann winning the event and the common presence of bass and other wildlife in golf course ponds.