Hours after the first round of the 2021 Masters Tournament had concluded, Abraham Ancer was given a two-stroke penalty after he "unknowingly touched the sand before making his third stroke from the greenside bunker," according to an official statement.
The penalty was found on the 15th hole, a par 5. Ancer originally made a bogey on the hole, but the penalty made for a triple. The result ended with Ancer going from 1-over and tie for 20th all the way down to a tie for 52nd.
Ancer tweeted a statement after the ruling and included video of what the tournament needed an infraction.
I was just informed that I have been assessed a 2 stroke penalty for unintentionally grazing the sand in my backswing on hole 15. While I’m gutted, I can’t wait to get after it tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/5ZOlthQzeE
— Abraham Ancer (@Abraham_Ancer) April 9, 2021
The penalty creates a ripple effect in the betting community. Because it's a major tournament, many sportbooks feature an extended menu of options. That includes finishing positions for the first round beyond the first-round leader. If someone bet on Ancer to finish the first round in the top-20, that would now be graded a loss.
It could've impacted a first-round matchup depending on what your sportsbook offered. It did not impact one of the options, which was Ancer against Hideki Matsuyama. It did move Ancer from two strokes behind Shane Lowry in a full tournament matchup to four strokes back heading into the second round.
Ancer was around 100-1 at sportsbooks to win the tournament. He trails leader Justin Rose by 11 strokes. Ancer is still inside the current cut line of +4.
