Error on official scorecard leads to 12 players being disqualified from state golf championship
A dozen golfers were disqualified from the Oregon Class 3A/2A/1A boys state tournament for playing from the wrong tees.
And it wasn’t entirely their fault.
The Oregonian reported Monday that the first four threesomes hit from the red tees instead of the blue tees on the 13th hole at Quail Valley Golf Course in Banks.
The competitors had been instructed to play from the blue tees, but they instead trusted the scorecard they were given. It listed the 13th hole at 172 yards, which was the distance from the red tees; the blue tees were playing at 210 yards.
Officials noticed the problem and warned the groups that followed.
However, the Oregon School Activities Association — after consulting with the rules committee and an outside rules group — decided the 12 players who had already finished the 13th played a different course than the rest of the field, and they were disqualified.
Without a first-round score, the golfers — all from Rogue River, Columbia Christian and Grant Union high schools — were out of the individual competition, as were their teams.
Peter Weber, executive director of the OSAA, told The Oregonian there was no recourse.
Weber said that while it was unfortunate, the students had been told to play the blue tees.
“It is the first bullet point on the rules sheet,” he said.
The disqualified players didn’t get much sympathy on social media.
I’m ok with this. Why would you switch tees to match the yardage on the fourth hole regardless of the scorecard.
— JDK (@kenoli22) May 16, 2018
The controversy overshadowed an incredible round by Scotty Kennon, a freshman at Bandon High School.
Kennon shot a 7-under-par 65, tying for the second-lowest score in the history of the Oregon state tournament.
2018 OSAA 3A/2A/1A boys golf individual state champion – Scotty Kennon, freshman, Bandon HS. #opreps @BandonDunesGolf @bandonathletics pic.twitter.com/AiAopwEoMI
— OSAA (@OSAASports) May 15, 2018
He led his team to the state title.
2018 OSAA 3A/2A/1A boys golf state champions – Bandon Tigers! #opreps @BandonDunesGolf @bandonathletics pic.twitter.com/dUMCRj00KX
— OSAA (@OSAASports) May 15, 2018
Meanwhile, three other schools came away with a valuable lesson about the unforgiving nature of the rules of golf.
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