Brooks Koepka in awkward LIV Golf rules dispute as Patrick Reed forced to intervene

Brooks Koepka found himself embroiled in a protracted rules dispute during the first round of the LIV Houston on Friday, with fellow player Patrick Reed stepping in to offer his opinion.

Koepka began his tournament with a two-under-par 70 in the opening round, leaving him trailing five shots behind leaders Martin Kaymer, Adrian Meronk and Caleb Surratt.

Starting on the first hole of the shotgun start, the American kicked off with birdie, par, par before stumbling with a bogey at the fourth.

The way the five-time major champion navigated his way to his bogey five raised eyebrows among spectators, after he was forced to take a penalty drop on the par-four fourth after landing in the water hazard.

Initially, Koepka was engaged in a discussion about where the ball had landed and crossed, to determine from where he could take his next shot.

It was agreed that the American could drop on the bank between the hazard and the putting surface, but this then posed a problem for his drop.

Due to the slope of the bank, Koepka's ball would roll down the bank and back into the hazard. According to golf rules, the former US PGA champion is therefore allowed two attempts to drop the ball, before being able to place it following a second failed attempt.

Koepka faced a tricky situation when he struggled to place his ball, which seemed to keep moving from its intended spot. The golf star sought the advice of fellow player Reed, and together they determined where to correctly position the ball without breaching the rules.

According to Rule 14.2e: "If the player tries to replace a ball but it does not stay on its original spot, the player must try a second time. If the ball again does not stay on that spot, the player must replace the ball by placing it on the nearest spot where the ball will stay at rest, but with these limits depending on where the original spot is located.

"The spot must not be nearer the hole and the nearest spot must be in the general area. Failure to do so, playing the ball from a wrong place, is in breach of Rule 14.2, which is a two-stroke penalty."

Koepka continued his game, eventually two-putting for bogey.

Despite the rule-related drama, the first day in Houston was dominated by the Cleeks, with team captain Kaymer and his partner Meronk sharing the lead with Surratt of Legion XIII.

This strong performance by the European contingent has given them a three-shot advantage in the team standings as they head into the second day, with Kalle Samooja tied for 15th at three-under, and US Senior PGA champion Richard Bland tied for 48th at two-over.