The day started on a weird note for Justin Thomas. As he stepped to the tee, the announcer introduced him as “Justin Thompson.”

Not a great look to get the world’s fifth-ranked player’s name wrong.

After opening with three pars, Thomas’ ball found the fairway on No. 4, one of the toughest holes on the golf course. It came to rest a few inches away from a water drain, a spot where players normally get relief.

Thomas did not.

The 29-year-old called for a referee, who asked Thomas if the drain would interfere with his swing. Thomas said it would not, so he was not granted a free drop.

The USGA released a statement: “On the fourth hole, Justin Thomas’ ball came to rest near a drain in the fairway. Justin requested a ruling from a nearby referee. During the discussion, Justin was asked if the drain was going to interfere with his swing, to which he replied it was not. Because there was no interference from the drain, Justin was not provided relief. Rule 16.1a(1) states that interference from an immovable obstruction exists when the ball touches or is in or on the obstruction, or the obstruction physically interferes with the player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing. The Rule goes on to state that if the obstruction is close enough to distract the player but does not otherwise interfere, there is no relief under the Rule.”

With the drain between Thomas’ feet and the ball producing an awkward stance, he laid the sod over a wedge into a bunker 50 yards shy of the green.

He wasn’t happy. And he took a shot at some of his peers.

“That’s what pisses me off, because so many other people would lie about being able to hit that, but it’s just like, I’m not going to hit it. That’s bulls***, man,” Thomas said after the shot.

His third failed to reach the green, and Thomas walked to the 5th tee box with a bogey.

Thomas declined to talk to the media but did offer his insights to the USGA.

“To me it was around a drain, and very clearly my stance and my ball was sitting differently than it would be if that drain was not there,” Thomas said. “I called an official to get a ruling on it, and in the spirit of the game, I wasn’t going to hit the drain. I felt like I very easily could have told her that I was going to and gotten a free drop, but I wasn’t going to do that.”

WATCH THE SHOT BELOW:

The Country Club at Brookline is proving to be a frustrating course. #USOpen

📺: @NBC & @PeacockTV pic.twitter.com/mNUqARLH1W

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 18, 2022

WATCH HIS REACTION BELOW:

Justin Thomas absolutely livid ooo pic.twitter.com/dWBorCsDKk

— 𝘔𝘰𝘺𝘨𝘴 (@Moygs96x) June 18, 2022

Article originally appeared on: Golfweek.usatoday.com