Watch: Bald eagle deters New York golfer from finishing round
A New York golfer was aiming for a birdie but got an eagle instead.
New York golfer nearly loses ball to bald eagle
An eagle threatened to fly away with a golfer's ball on Old Westbury, New York.
OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. – A New York golfer was aiming for a birdie but got an eagle instead.
A video shows him in the Long Island town of Old Westbury nearly losing his approach shot to a bald eagle sitting perched on the course.
The man hit the ball onto the green in a nice approach shot, setting him up well for a relatively short putt.
But in a stroke of bad luck, the eagle may have thought he was set up well for a quick snack.
"Yo, he’s going for your ball!" a man yells off-camera.
Eagle takes golf ball. (Ray Ambrosio / FOX Weather)
The eagle then hops onto the ball, clutches it with its talons and, after a few short hops to get the ball clenched, flies away.
What to do if an eagle, or any other bogey, absconds with your golf ball?
According to PGA Tour rules, when an outside agent, like an animal, moves a golf ball during play, the ball or its replacement should be placed where it was before the golfer hit it.