Adam Scott's return to Doral was supposed to be a nostalgic homecoming. A decade after his WGC-Cadillac Championship victory at the Blue Monster, the 45-year-old Australian stepped onto the course as an honorary defending champion, with the iconic Miami resort back on the PGA Tour schedule for the first time since 2016.

But Thursday's opening round took a frustrating turn when a costly rules mistake threatened to derail his comeback. After a solid start—two birdies offset by two bogeys through seven holes—Scott pulled his tee shot into the rough on the par-5 eighth. He confidently played his second shot from the thick lie, but as he prepared for his third, the sinking feeling hit: that ball wasn't his.

Playing the wrong ball is a clear violation of Rule 6.3, carrying a two-stroke penalty. The silver lining? Scott managed to track down his original ball near where he thought it landed. From there, he scrambled—what counted as his fourth shot found the fairway, his fifth reached the green from 147 yards, and a two-putt from 15 feet left him with a double-bogey 7. A tough break, but it could have been much worse.

Had Scott not realized the mistake until after finishing the hole and teeing off on the next, disqualification would have been on the table. According to Rule 6.3, players who hit a wrong ball must correct the error immediately by playing their own ball to finish the hole. And if Scott hadn't found his original ball in the rough? That would have meant playing under lost-ball rules, adding another penalty stroke and sending him back to the tee box for his fifth shot.

To his credit, Scott shook off the frustration and rattled off eight straight pars after the blunder. It's a reminder that even the best in the game can fall victim to a split-second lapse—and that knowing the rules can save you from a complete disaster.