Cam Davis Sunday on the 15th green at the Plantation Course in Kapalua.
The Golf Channel
Cam Davis should have kicked from 48 yards out. And Will Zalatoris should have hit from 37 yards out.
If they were, they wouldn’t have each been hit with two strikes and, as it turned out, pay cuts.
“It will be expensive,” the analyst Mark Rolfing said.
The issue? During Sunday’s PGA Tour’s final round Tour of the guardseach pro learned they would hit the other’s ball on their third swings at the 551-yard, par-5 15th hole on the Plantation Course in Kapalua — a no-no under the rules. Davis AND The barber then they played where they should, plus two shots, and finished with bogey.
How did it happen? Neither player spoke at the official press conferences afterward, though the announcers on the Golf Channel broadcast offered some thoughts.
Rolfing said, “Wow, what mistakes there are.”
said Dan Hicks: “Especially with the money involved here and the FedEx Cup points. It’s just frustrating, frustrating, all of the above.”
Rolfing said: “It almost doesn’t seem possible in today’s game. You can’t play your ball.”
Said Hicks: “Losing a bit of focus, isn’t it? Just be careless.”
In the end, Davis tied for 13th and won $410,000, while Zalatoris tied for 26th and took home $163,333.33. But what if they had each played the correct ball into the hole – and not been penalized? Davis would have moved into a tie for fifth and earned $715,625, while Zalatoris would have tied for 15th and collected $283,200 — the difference in cash was $306,625 for Davis and $119,866.67 dollars.
Specifically, if the players did not correct the error before starting the 16th hole, they would each be disqualified. For clarity, here is the wording of Rule 6.3c (1) which describes what happens when a foul ball is played:
“In stroke play, the player receives the general penalty (two penalty strokes) and must correct the error by continuing to play the original ball by playing it as it stands or by taking relief under the rules. The stroke made with the wrong ball and any other strokes before the error is rectified (including strokes taken and any additional penalty strokes from playing that ball alone) do not count. If the player does not correct the error before making a stroke to start another hole or, for the last hole of the round, before returning the score card, the player is disqualified.”
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