Gareth Bale's golf ball stolen by four-legged intruder during Alfred Dunhill Links Championship pro-am
Gareth Bale's ball was stolen by a dog
DPWORLDTOUR
Gareth Bale's second round at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship pro-am took an unexpected turn when a dog ran onto the course and stole his ball.
The Welsh football icon has been paired with PGA Tour star Dan Brown for the pro-am event this week with the duo among the favourites to win.
They started the week with an impressive round of 59 to put them towards the top of the leaderboard.
Friday saw them play the tricky Carnoustie course which caught them out on occasion.
But nobody was prepared for the interruption to Bale's round on the 16th hole.
The former Real Madrid star played an impressive chip towards the back pin to leave himself with a good chance of an up-and-down.
However, there were cries of 'oh no' from the crowd when a small dog got loose from its owner and began running onto the green.
The furry four-legged imposter went straight towards Bale's ball and picked it up with its mouth before running back to the Welshman.
The small group of onlookers were left stunned and could be heard laughing as the dog continued to run around.
Fortunately, Bale was able to return the ball to the same spot without receiving a penalty.
According to Rule 9.6 in the USGA's handbook: "If it is known or virtually certain that an outside influence (including another player in stroke play or another ball) lifted or moved a player’s ball at rest, there is no penalty, and the ball must be replaced on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated)."
The pair recovered to finish on with a round of 66 to leave them on 19-under-par for the tournament.
Dog steals Gareth Bale's ball 😂
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 5, 2024
🎥: DarrenMcRae3/X #dunhilllinks pic.twitter.com/VyJMQTTlqd
Grant Forrest and Martin Gilbert currently lead the team leaderboard with celebrities such as Bill Murray and Sir Steve Redgrave also in contention.
Tyrell Hatton is playing alongside his father, Jeff Hatton while Rory McIlroy is similarly playing with his dad, Gerry.
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Gareth Bale is playing alongside professional Dan Brown
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Bale retired from professional football in January 2023 after a spate of injuries in the latter stages of his career.
He ended his career as Wales' most-capped player and top goalscorer of all time.
The Welshman also won five Champions Leagues and three La Liga titles at Real Madrid.