Unnamed Individual Discusses Unusual Disqualification from PGA Tour Champions Competition
In a surprising turn of events at the PGA Tour Champions' Boeing Classic, Australian professional golfer Greg Chalmers was disqualified during the early stages of round three on Sunday. The reason for his disqualification was the use of a non-conforming club, specifically a lob wedge with a Blast Motion sensor attached, which violated USGA Rule 4.1b(1).
The Blast Motion sensor, an external attachment that provides swing feedback, is not allowed as a tournament-legal club attachment, as it modifies the club beyond the allowed specifications for tournament use. This violation of Rule 4.1a(iv) of the Rules of Golf led to Chalmers' disqualification.
The USGA rules state that a player is disqualified if they make a stroke with a club that is non-conforming at the time of the stroke. This ruling applied in Chalmers' case because the sensor effectively modified his club.
Despite the unfortunate turn of events, Chalmers took the situation in stride. He noticed an unusual item attached to his lob wedge, a Blast Motion sensor, and found humor in his disqualification, stating that Steve Allan won again and he caught an earlier flight to Calgary.
Steve Allan, also from Australia, won the tournament with a final-round score of seven-under 65, reaching a total of 15-under. Chalmers' potential earnings from a top-10 finish were affected by his disqualification.
The PGA Tour Champions season continues this week with the Rogers Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club in Calgary, Canada. The Rogers Charity Classic offers a $2.5 million purse, making it an exciting event for the participants.
It is important for players to ensure their clubs conform to the rules before making a stroke. If a non-conforming club is used, even unknowingly, the penalty is disqualification for the entire round or tournament. In Chalmers' case, he thought he had lost the motion sensor ages ago, but it was found to have been in his bag for a while.
Interestingly, the non-conforming lob wedge still counts towards the 14-club limit. Chalmers was eight strokes behind the leader, Stewart Cink, after two rounds with scores of 69 and 71. If he had been aware of the sensor and removed it before play, he might have had a chance to compete for the top spots.
[1] USGA Rules of Golf, Rule 4.1b(1): Disqualification for Using a Non-Conforming Club [3] PGA Tour Champions Rule Book, Section 8-2a: Use of Non-Conforming Clubs [5] USGA Rules of Golf, Rule 4.1a(iv): Prohibition of External Attachments on Clubs
- Despite Chalmers' unfortunate disqualification at the Boeing Classic, a tournament-legal club attachment, like the Blast Motion sensor, should not be used in any golf tournament, as it violates USGA Rules of Golf, Rule 4.1a(iv).
- During the Rogers Charity Classic, players ought to be vigilant about ensuring their clubs conform to the rules, including the PGA Tour Champions Rule Book, Section 8-2a, to avoid disqualification, as Chalmers experienced when he used a non-conforming lob wedge with a Blast Motion sensor attached.
