​Mandatory Credit: James Maclennan-Imagn ImagesA Bizarre Moment on the GreenGolf often produces strange moments, but few are quite as unusual as what happened during the second round of the LOTTE Championship. Nine-time LPGA Tour winner Hyo Joo Kim found herself in the center of a peculiar incident involving her ball and a playing partner’s marker. While chipping from the edge of the green, Kim struck the ball cleanly, only for it to land directly on the coin marking a teammate’s spot. The impact sent the marker bouncing into the air before it rolled about 10 feet away. Kim dropped to her knees, laughing at the sheer absurdity of the event.Despite the laughable nature of the play, the outcome was serious for her tournament hopes. According to Yahoo, Kim finished the round at two-under for the tournament but ultimately missed the cut by a single stroke. It was a heartbreaking finish for a player who has enjoyed a fine 2026 season with two victories already in the books. The incident highlights how unpredictable the game can be, even for seasoned veterans who have won nine times on tour.The Rules Behind the CoinWhen a ball strikes a marker on the green, many players immediately assume they are in trouble. However, the rules of golf are quite clear on this specific scenario. As noted by Yahoo, Rule 13.1d explicitly states that no penalty is assessed in this situation. The rulebook reads: “There is no penalty if any player (including you) accidentally moves your ball or ball-marker on the putting green.”Under these regulations, the player must simply replace the ball on its original spot. If the exact spot is not known, it must be estimated. In Kim’s case, she had to replace her ball and continue play without any stroke penalty added to her score. The incident occurred during her second round, where she also managed to hit 14 of 14 fairways. That level of accuracy is rare and impressive, yet it wasn’t enough to save her from missing the cut by that single, narrow margin. The rules provided relief from a penalty, but they couldn’t change the final scoreline.The tournament conditions played a massive role in the overall difficulty of the week. A Lim Kim, who took the lead after the first round with a 7-under 65, noted the difficulty of the weather. “Trajectory for control and then putting (are) really important (on) this course because (it’s) very windy,” she said. She added, “And then today, rain is back and forth, back and forth, so tough conditions. But it was really good play today, yeah.”Other players also faced the challenge of the elements. Yu Liu, who finished tied for second after the first round, commented on the wind. “It was definitely (a) very challenging course, especially with the windy condition, but I felt like today the wind didn’t (get) too strong, which is on the friendly side,” Liu said. She felt she could “score, make some good scores out of the calmer conditions.” Ina Yoon, who was also in content