Tour Participant Discloses Perplexing Disqualification at PGA Tour Champions Competition
Golf Professional Disqualified at PGA Tour Champions' Boeing Classic
Greg Chalmers, an Australian professional golfer, faced an unexpected setback during the PGA Tour Champions' Boeing Classic. Chalmers was disqualified from the tournament due to a non-conforming club, a lob wedge with a blast motion sensor attached.
Chalmers' scores for the first two rounds were impressive, with a 69 and a 71. This placed him eight strokes behind leader Stewart Cink. However, his disqualification on the third day of the tournament meant he could not bank any extra dollars from a potential top-10 finish.
The disqualification was a result of Rule 4.1b(1) under USGA regulations, which states that making a stroke with a non-conforming club leads to disqualification. A club becomes non-conforming if it has unauthorized attachments or modifications that do not meet the equipment standards set by the USGA and R&A.
In this case, the sensor device attached to Chalmers' lob wedge made the club non-conforming under Rule 4.1a(iv), which governs external attachments. The critical violation occurred upon using the club, as carrying a non-conforming club without use may not incur a penalty in some cases.
Interestingly, Chalmers found the blast motion sensor in his lob wedge on the third hole, but it had been in his bag for a while. He shared the reason for his disqualification via a post on social media platform X.
The PGA Tour Champions season continues with the Rogers Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club in Calgary, Canada. The tournament offers a $2.5 million purse, with the winner taking home a significant prize. Steve Allan, another Australian golfer, won the 2019 Boeing Classic with a final-round score of seven-under 65, earning him a $345,000 top prize.
As the golfing community moves forward, players are reminded of the importance of adhering to the rules, especially regarding conforming equipment. The incident serves as a reminder that any club that does not conform to the equipment rules cannot be used during a round, and using such a club results in immediate disqualification.
After being disqualified from the PGA Tour Champions' Boeing Classic, Greg Chalmers, who had scored impressively with a 69 and a 71 in the first two rounds, missed the opportunity for a top-10 finish and extra earnings. The disqualification was due to a non-conforming club, his lob wedge with a blast motion sensor attached, which violated Rule 4.1a(iv) under USGA regulations governing external attachments.
