Scott Vincent in March throughout a LIV Golf occasion.
Getty Photographs
Scott Vincent knew the time. In any case, a day earlier, he’d let his Instagram followers know.
“Asian Tour Worldwide Collection Morocco,” the submit to his tales confirmed.
“Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Crimson Course).”
“Scott Vincent, Eugenio Chacarra, Jazz Janewattananond.”
And within the higher left-hand nook?
“Tee off 12:30 p.m. Gap #1.”
Solely Vincent reported at about 12:34 and 30 seconds.
As first reported by the Asian Tour’s Twitter account, the sequence led to a hardly ever known as penalty and a close to disqualification for the LIV Golf professional throughout the occasion’s first spherical. The ruling is spelled out in Rule 5.3, which, partly, reads this manner:
“A participant’s spherical begins when the participant makes a stroke to start out their first gap (see Rule 6.1a). The participant should begin at (and never earlier than) their beginning time: Which means the participant have to be able to play on the beginning time and start line set by the Committee; a beginning time set by the Committee is handled as a precise time (for instance, 9 am means 9:00:00 am, not any time till 9:01 am).
“If the beginning time is delayed for any motive (resembling climate, gradual play of different teams or the necessity for a ruling by a referee), there is no such thing as a breach of this Rule if the participant is current and able to play when the participant’s group is ready to begin.
“Penalty for Breach of Rule 5.3a: Disqualification, besides in these three instances: Exception 1 – Participant Arrives at Beginning Level, Able to Play, No Extra Than 5 Minutes Late: The participant will get the final penalty utilized to their first gap; Exception 2 – Participant Begins No Extra Than 5 Minutes Early: The participant will get the final penalty utilized to their first gap; Exception 3 – Committee Decides that Distinctive Circumstances Prevented Participant from Beginning on Time: There is no such thing as a breach of this Rule and no penalty.”
On this case, Vincent was docked with a two-stroke penalty below “exception 1” — and he was 30 seconds in need of being DQ’d.
However why was he late?
Notably, one other submit to his Instagram account might have given a clue. On it, he was seen earlier within the week enjoying a gap on the event web site — however the submit famous he was doing so with rental golf equipment. There had been an airport difficulty. On Thursday, the Asian Tour’s Twitter web site famous that Vincent had traveled to Casablanca — about an hour’s drive away — to get his golf equipment, solely to not discover them, and he performed with leases once more.
There may be excellent news, although.
After a gap double bogey because of the penalty, Vincent performed seven-under-par golf from there, and he was two strokes off the lead.
Another query:
Have gamers been penalized below the 5-minute exception? It’s uncommon. Most, after all, attempt to keep away from a penalty earlier than even hitting a ball, and there are a couple of examples of gamers merely not exhibiting up in any respect.
Then there’s the story of Lucas Glover from February, which you’ll be able to learn by clicking right here, or by scrolling beneath. Its headline learn: “Due to wild misinterpret, main winner withdraws from Phoenix Open.”
***
Eight o’clock. And no Lucas Glover.
Eight-fifteen. And no Lucas Glover.
Eight-twenty-five.
The place’s Lucas Glover?
That was roughly the scene Thursday at TPC Scottsdale. Lucas Glover, your 2009 U.S. Open winner, was to start out play on the Waste Administration Phoenix Open at 8:26 a.m. native time off tee No. 1, solely that was apparently information to Glover. However he had a narrative.
In response to Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard, Glover stated he acquired a name from an official round 8:25 letting him know of his plight. He had by no means missed a Tour tee time earlier than, in line with Hoggard. However Glover then got here clear.
“I simply mis-read my textual content messages [that listed my tee time],” Glover instructed Hoggard. “I’m kicking myself however laughing at myself on the similar time.”
There’s some excellent news, although.
Glover withdrew. He didn’t must. He additionally might haven’t answered the cellphone. However he did. So Ryo Hisatsune was in in his place.
Due to wild misinterpret, main winner withdraws from Phoenix Open
It’s right here the place you might have some questions, like:
— Is there a rule that covers missed tee instances?
Sure. In your pals foursome, you get some phrases. For an occasion such because the Phoenix Open, you could get one — disqualification. Rule 5.3 reads this manner:
“You could begin at (and never earlier than or after) your beginning time. Penalty for Breach of Rule 5.3a: Disqualification.”
Notably, there are exceptions. They learn this manner:
“Exception 1 – You Arrive at Beginning Level, Able to Play, No Extra Than 5 Minutes Late: The overall penalty is utilized to your first gap. Exception 2 – You Begin No Extra Than 5 Minutes Early: The overall penalty is utilized to your first gap. Exception 3 – Committee Decides that Distinctive Circumstances Prevented You from Beginning on Time: There is no such thing as a breach of this Rule and no penalty.”
— Has it occurred earlier than?
Sure, errors occur.
On a fast scan, an identical incidence occurred on the 2021 U.S. Senior Open, the place Marcus Meloan didn’t return after a three-hour storm delay, and Rule 5.3 was utilized. On the Golf Channel broadcast on the time, USGA guidelines official Ben Schade stated this:
“Following that restart, we did have a participant that was late to renew,” Schade stated on the Golf Channel broadcast. “So resumption instances, they work very a lot the identical as a beginning time that we might have at the start of our spherical the place we have to be able to play inside 5 minutes of that point, no later than 5 minutes of that point, to keep away from disqualification.
“If we’re inside that five-minute time, we might get a two-stroke penalty, and he can play on. So in Marcus’ case, he was not able to play inside that five-minute window of his resumption time, so he was disqualified from the competitors.”
