WATCH: Emergency Weather Alert Brutally Interrupts U.S. Open for Iowa Golf Fans at Worst Possible Time

The final round of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines had an exciting finish Sunday evening, but a poorly produced weather alert forced Iowa golf fans to miss one of the tournament’s most important shot attempts.

After John Rahm completed his round and carried a lead into the clubhouse at 6-under, Louis Oosthuizen was still trying to force a playoff. Oosthuizen attempted a long putt for par on the 17, which would have kept him one stroke behind Rahm heading into the final hole.

With the ball rolling toward the hole, the NBC chimes began as a severe weather warning from Des Moines’ local NBC affiliate WHO 13 interrupted the action. Meteorologist Amber Alexander joined the screen, with a tornado warning for the Decatur County area, leaving a group of Iowa golf fans clueless as to whether or not Oosthuizen still had a realistic chance of forcing a playoff. Golf Digest first spotlighted gaffe, after local Iowa viewers expressed their frustration on social media.

The timing could not have been worse, reminding sports fans of the infamous “Heidi Bowl” from 1968, an AFL game between the Jets and Raiders, interrupted by NBC’s preordered showing of Heidi.

Oosthuizen did miss the crucial putt, and a chunk of Iowa golf fans was shut out from maybe the most pivotal shot attempt of the 2021 U.S. Open. With Oosthuizen now two strokes behind Rahm, WHO 13 moved to a split-screen for the less dramatic end of the tournament.

Watch above via, WHO 13

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