In hardly ever seen time state of affairs, LIV professional hit with penalty, is almost booted

Scott Vincent knew the time. In spite of everything, a day earlier, he’d let his Instagram followers know.  

“Asian Tour Worldwide Sequence Morocco,” the put up to his tales confirmed. 

“Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Pink 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 through the occasion’s first spherical. The ruling is spelled out in Rule 5.3, which, partially, reads this fashion:

“A participant’s spherical begins when the participant makes a stroke to begin 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 purpose (equivalent to climate, gradual play of different teams or the necessity for a ruling by a referee), there isn’t 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 circumstances: 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 isn’t 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, another post to his Instagram account could have given a clue. On it, he was seen earlier within the week taking part in a gap on the event web site — however the put up famous he was doing so with rental golf equipment. There had been an airport situation. 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, only not to find them, and he performed with leases once more. 

There’s excellent news, although. 

After a gap double bogey as a result of penalty, Vincent performed seven-under-par golf from there, and he was two strokes off the lead. 

Yet 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 number of examples of gamers merely not exhibiting up in any respect. 

Then there’s the story of Lucas Glover from February, which you’ll learn by clicking 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 begin play on the Waste Management 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. 

According to Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard, Glover mentioned 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, based on 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 identical time.”

There’s some excellent news, although. 

Glover withdrew. He didn’t should. He additionally may haven’t answered the telephone. However he did. So Ryo Hisatsune was in in his place.

It’s right here the place you could have some questions, like: 

— Is there a rule that covers missed tee instances?

Sure. On your buddies foursome, you get some phrases. For an occasion such because the Phoenix Open, it’s possible you’ll get one — disqualification. Rule 5.3 reads this way:

“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 fashion:

“Exception 1 – You Arrive at Beginning Level, Able to Play, No Extra Than 5 Minutes Late: The final penalty is utilized to your first gap. Exception 2 – You Begin No Extra Than 5 Minutes Early: The final penalty is utilized to your first gap. Exception 3 – Committee Decides that Distinctive Circumstances Prevented You from Beginning on Time: There isn’t a breach of this Rule and no penalty.”

— Has it occurred earlier than?

Sure, errors occur. 

On a fast scan, an analogous incidence occurred at 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 mentioned this:

“Following that restart, we did have a participant that was late to renew,” Schade mentioned on the Golf Channel broadcast. “So resumption instances, they work very a lot the identical as a beginning time that we might have originally 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.”

Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Journal. In his function, he’s chargeable for modifying, writing and creating tales throughout the golf area. And when he’s not writing about methods to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native might be taking part in the sport, hitting the ball left, proper and quick, and ingesting a chilly beer to clean away his rating. You may attain out to him about any of those matters — his tales, his sport or his beers — at [email protected].