hpurey:
For one, it's absolutely a legal shot in golf, frowned upon yes, but legal all the same.
True.
As the OP said 'the road hole..by the bunker'..maybe it was a little like this (although maybe not exactly) :
(quote) Opting to putt instead of chip, this is what happened next:
had to hit his fourth out of the bunker before making bogey"
http://www.cbssports.com/golf/eye-on-golf/24740085/rory-mcilroy-putted-into-a-bunker-on-the-road-hole-at-st-andrews
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BTW I may only try a non-putt on the green 99.5% of the time, usually for reasons like above or just to practice a quick shot while mapping the results.