If you've ever been to a professional golf tournament before, you know there's one rule that absolutely must be followed: don't pick up a ball — even if it happens to belong to Tiger Woods. Seriously, don't do it.
We've seen fans attempt to take home a priceless souvenir before, including a lady who was shoved by a guy in the crowd as she tried to reach down and pocket Charl Schwartzel's ball at Doral in 2010. It was the most memorable fan-trying-to-pocket-a-ball moment in recent memory ... until a *** at the John Deere Classic usurped her during the final round.
With the tournament hanging in the balance, Troy Matteson stepped onto the tee on the par-4 18th hole -- just moments after he canned an incredible 59-footer for eagle on the par-5 17th -- and hit a wayward drive into the trees.
[Related:Zach Johnson wins the John Deere Classic on second playoff hole]
The ball landed near a young boy who tried to pull a fast one on some unassuming gallery members by running over and picking up the ball. There was just one problem: Matteson needed the ball to finish his round. A couple of fans in the crowd saw the entire situation and called the youngster out.
Busted. Based on the footage, it looks like the *** knew he was in the wrong after he tried to hide the ball in his hand. You'd think someone would have informed him that you never pick up a ball during a tournament, but when you're caught up in the moment of potentially walking home with a sweet souvenir, the rules go out the window.
Thankfully, the ***'s poor decision didn't cost Matteson the tournament — at least not on the final hole of regulation. He was able to drop the ball nearest the spot where it landed and managed to get up-and-down to ***** a playoff that he eventually lost on the second hole.
