Playing the wrong ball can be costly in strokes, money, and FedEx Cup points, especially at a Signature Event like The Sentry.
PGA Tour pros hit wrong ball in bizarre episode at The Sentry, lost combined $462,000
Will Zalatoris and Cam Davis played each other’s golf balls on the 15th hole, which proved quite costly.
Jack Milko has been playing golf since he was five years old. He has yet to record a hole-in-one, but he did secure an M.A. in Sports Journalism from St. Bonaventure University.
Just ask Will Zalatoris, who played Cam Davis’ golf ball on the par-5 15th hole on Sunday at Kapalua. Yet the bizarre situation did not stop there. Davis then played Zalatoris’ ball, as both players laid up short and right of the green in similar positions.
But they did not realize their mistake until they got up and onto the green, according to Rules Official Mark Dusbabek, who explained what happened on the Golf Channel broadcast. The incident led each player to accrue a two-stroke penalty.
According to Rule 6.3c in the Rules of Golf, any player who hits the wrong ball receives a two-stroke penalty. They must then correct their mistake by going back and playing the correct ball to finish the hole. Zalatoris and Davis did just that, making a bogey while both would’ve made a birdie on the easy par-5 — a two-shot difference.
Zalatoris ultimately shot an even-par 73 and tied for 26th, but that could have been a 2-under 71 and a T-15 result. Those players who tied for 15th received $292,000 for their efforts, while Zalatoris took home $163,333. His mistake also affected his FedEx Cup standing. A T-15 would have given Zalatoris 63 FedEx Cup points, but his T-26 awarded him only 38 points — a 25-point difference that hopefully does not come back to haunt him in August.
As for Davis, his losses proved much greater since he was farther up the leaderboard. When Davis teed off on the 15th hole, he sat within the top 10 and looked destined to finish there, perhaps even better. But he ultimately finished at 22-under and in a tie for 13th, thus taking home $410,000. If you take that two-stroke penalty away, though, Davis would have tied for 5th and won $744,166. He would have also received 267 FedEx Cup points, a much more substantial number than the 105 he won instead. That’s a massive difference, which could be problematic later for him this season.
Add it all up: Zalatoris and Davis lost a combined $462,833 and 187 FedEx Cup points.
The lesson for everyone at home is to ensure you play the right golf ball, especially in tournament play. Fellow pros should take notice, too, because nobody wants to see this mistake play out again.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
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