Joel Dahmen already faces an uphill climb to obtain PGA Tour standing in 2025.
However that highway simply acquired an entire lot more durable.
Throughout Thursday’s opening spherical of the Shriners Youngsters’s Open, the PGA Tour assessed Dahmen a four-shot penalty. He had 15 golf equipment in his bag—yet another than the utmost of 14. His 4-iron was the responsible occasion.
So, as a substitute of Dahmen carding a pair of pars on his opening two holes, the PGA Tour added two strokes on every, which means he started with two doubles. That turned a benign begin into an aggravating one.
However in keeping with the US Golf Affiliation (USGA), Rule 4.1.b inside the Guidelines of Golf reads:
It’s essential to not begin a spherical with greater than 14 golf equipment or have greater than 14 golf equipment through the spherical.
While you develop into conscious that you’re in breach of this Rule by having greater than 14 golf equipment, it’s essential to instantly take the surplus membership or golf equipment out of play.
For stroke play occasions, reminiscent of this week’s Shriners Youngsters’s Open, the penalty for breaching this rule is as follows:
Two Penalty Strokes, Most of 4 Strokes: You get the overall penalty (two penalty strokes) for every gap the place a breach occurred, with a most of 4 penalty strokes within the spherical (including two penalty strokes at every of the primary two holes the place a breach occurred).
NBC Sports activities’ Smylie Kaufman reported that Dahmen seen he had an additional membership on the 4th tee. However as Kaufman identified, Dahmen might solely obtain a four-stroke penalty.
It’s nonetheless harsh, particularly when Damhen is combating for his livelihood. He arrived at TPC Summerlin ranked 124th within the FedEx Cup Fall rankings. Solely the highest 125 obtain PGA Tour standing for 2025, which means he has loads of work to do over the following few weeks. 4 occasions on the FedEx Cup Fall calendar stay after this week’s Shriners Youngsters’s Open.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. Be sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.
