ATLANTA – Bryson DeChambeau isn’t afraid to take an aggressive line off a tee if he thinks it will give him an advantage, but it almost cost him a shot Saturday at the Tour Championship. 

DeChambeau launched his drive at the par-5 18^th hole well left of the fairway and toward the adjacent 10^th hole. His shot ended up on the far side of the 10^th fairway and next to the 11^th tee box, at least that’s what he was told.

After more than three minutes of searching, which is the limit under the Rules of Golf, he couldn’t find his golf ball until a PGA Tour official reviewed the footage from a nearby ShotLink camera and discovered a fan had picked up DeChambeau’s golf ball and walked away.

DeChambeau, who declined to speak with the print media for the 15^th consecutive round, was given a drop without penalty under the Rules of Golf and he finished with a birdie at the 18^th hole for a third-round 72 and a share of seventh place.

Earlier this season at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, DeChambeau took a similarly aggressive line across a lake on the par-5 sixth hole on his way to victory.