PGA Tour Pro Gets Disqualified At Houston Open

On Friday at the Houston Open, Mark Hubbard was bizarrely disqualified when he added a 15th club to his golf bag. In a tweet from PGA Tour Communications it stated that: "Mark Hubbard is a DQ after the second round of the Cadence Bank Houston Open due to a violation of Rule 4.1c."

It added: "Hubbard knowingly added a 15th club at the turn and used the club several times without declaring it out of play." According to those on the ground, the American had missed a number of fairways with his driver and decided to add a new one to his golf bag. However, after striking the ball with the new club, he was instantly disqualified.

Firing a five-over-par first round of 75, the 33-year-old needed a magical round to make it inside the cut line. His second round at Memorial Park GC didn't start well though, as a double bogey at the opening hole was followed up by a bogey at the fifth.

Obviously struggling off the tee, Hubbard added the 15th club at the turn, with the American reportedly thinking it would be a two-stroke penalty for each use of a different driver. It became apparent though that it wasn't the case.

Under Rule 4.1b, you can’t play with more than 14 clubs, but the rule does have a number of breakoffs. So, if a player learns of the violation (the use of more than 15 clubs) during the round, they are to declare a club out of play, and “the player gets the general penalty (two penalty strokes) for each hole where a breach happened, with a maximum of four penalty strokes in the round (adding two penalty strokes at each of the first two holes where a breach happened).”

In Hubbard's case though, he reportedly knew that he was violating the rules and, under Rule 4.1b, it says: “If the player added excess clubs during the round, those added clubs are the ones that must be taken out of play.” That funnels it down to Rule 4.1c, which explains the procedure for taking a club out of play. 

Under Rule 4.1c: “When a player becomes aware during a round that he or she is in breach of Rule 4.1b(1), (2) or (3) for having more than 14 clubs or for making a stroke with another player’s club, the player must immediately take an action that clearly indicates each club that is being taken out of play.

“This may be done either by: Declaring this to the opponent in match play or the marker or another player in the group in stroke play, or Taking some other clear action (such as turning the club upside down in the bag, placing it on the floor of the golf cart or giving the club to another person). The player must not make a stroke for the rest of the round with any club taken out of play.”

According to the Tour, Hubbard didn't declare the added driver out of play and, once he hit his tee shot, he violated Rule 4.1c, which is a DQ. He did go on to finish his round despite the disqualification, but was well outside the cut line.