The first round of The RSM Classic, tournament of the PGA Tour that is disputed this week in the Sea Island Resort from Georgia, in addition to a great performance by Juan Sebastian Muñoz, who signed a card of 60 strokes to lead the classification, left an important controversy with Rory Sabbatini as the protagonist.
The Slovakian nationalized South African golfer, a silver medalist last summer in the Tokyo Olympics, was disqualified as soon as he finished his first 18 holes in the event, which he had completed with 68 strokes, four under par, for violating rule 4.1, as reported by the circuit’s communication department.
Apparently, Sabbatini used reflective stickers of Foresight in the face of his fairway wood with which he struck on the first hole of the day. Some stickers that some players apparently use to measure speed when practicing and that, apparently, he had forgotten to remove (he or his caddy). It was the player himself who reported what happened to the stewards as soon as he realized the error.
John Munch, director of equipment standards of the PGA Tour, was in charge of giving details. “There are stickers, reflective stickers, tiny. Players use them to measure clubhead speed in practice and he didn’t remove them, ”he said. Munch He added that he had confirmed the problem with the USGA and that according to the rules of golf these stickers are only allowed during the tests, not in the competition.
The Slovak golfer, after being informed of his disqualification, left the Plantation Course, one of the two rotating courses played in this Georgia tournament, without making any kind of statement about it.
What the regulations say
In case of Rory Sabbatini in this RSM Classic has to do with the use of a ‘non-conforming stick‘. When using it, even if it is only in one hit, you should automatically be disqualified. If he had realized before hitting the ball with this club with the stickers on the first hole and had not used it, even if he had it in his bag, he would not have had any kind of sanction. As soon as he used it, he is out, a great disappointment for the Slovak who, in any case, was honest and reported what happened.
