PGA Tour event descended into chaos due to balls being lost in lava

The PGA Tour headed to the desert last weekend for The Black Desert Championship - but the tournament was marred by players receiving over 200 penalties due to lava or lost ball situations.

Matt McCarty emerged victorious in Utah, securing his first PGA Tour title and a spot at next year's Masters and PGA Championship.

The American shot a four-under-par 67 in his final round to finish on 23 under, describing his victory as 'a pretty surreal moment'. German Stephan Jager had to settle for second place, while Kevin Streelman and Lucas Glover tied for third on 19 under.

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The inaugural competition was deemed a success by many, despite the drama. The course's surrounding areas, made up of old lava rock, created a beautiful backdrop but also numerous unplayable lies.

Black lava rock flowed near most greens and fairways, presenting a unique challenge for players. The lava posed a similar problem to water hazards, rendering shots unplayable once they had settled.

In some cases, even a drop within two club lengths proved incredibly difficult. As a result, PGA Tour officials were kept busy with the high number of penalties.

Golf Digest reported a combined total of 203 penalties caused by lava or lost ball situations during the four rounds, not including any water penalty drops.

During the first round of the competition, a hefty 65 penalties were dished out and another 56 during the second round while the field still boasted 132 players. As the number of players dwindled, so too did the penalty count, with 33 handed out in the third round and 49 in the final round.

Those who had become somewhat versed in the course during practice play understood well the perils of straying from the fairway and green. Before clinching his win, McCarty shared his thoughts on the challenge of the course: "Very uncomfortable golf course if you're off the fairway. You could be reloading. It's a tough place to have nerves on, and tomorrow will be no different for sure."