Former PGA Tour Pro Docked Two Strokes For Possible Ball-Marker Violation While In Contention

Former PGA Tour pro Tyler McCumber was docked two strokes for a possible rules violation during round three of the WA PGA Championship on Saturday.

McCumber - who finished 99th in the FedExCup during the 2020-21 campaign - was flying high at the PGA Tour of Australasia's latest event thanks to rounds of 70 and 69, placing him in a share of second midway through.

Yet, a tough moving day saw the University of Florida alumnus drop down the leaderboard - not helped by a potential mistake on the second hole.

Playing alongside Todd Sinnott in round three, McCumber marked his ball on the green and then correctly shifted it one putter head to the side to allow his partner a fair shot at the hole.

However, tournament director Heath McLeod explained afterwards that the man who won six pro titles across the PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica during the mid-2010s was unsure if he'd moved his marker back on the second hole to play from the correct spot.

Speaking ahead of round four, McLeod said: "Following Tyler's round yesterday, he came into scorecard return and he was a little unsure about whether or not he'd moved his marker back on the second green.

"He moved it across one putter head to allow Todd [Sinnott] to putt and Tyler was unsure whether he'd put it back.

"We checked the vision and the vision was a bit inconclusive. But Tyler in himself was unsure and didn't feel right so he opted to take a two-stroke penalty, which you can do there for playing from the wrong place and not returning his ball-marker."

The incident ensured McCumber ultimately signed for a four-over-par 76 and dropped him right down the leaderboard prior to the final round.

His disappointing weekend failed to improve thereafter either with a two-over-par 74 seeing him finish T26th in the $250,000 tournament, which was won by Justin Warren on 11-under.

Remarkably, it is not the first time McCumber has been involved in a rules incident on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

During the 2024 Victorian PGA Championship, McCumber was docked two strokes while his playing partner Anthony Quayle was penalized seven shots after the pair mistakenly believed the tournament had preferred lies in operation.

The American had queried whether preferred lies were in place during round one and Quayle confirmed they were, only to later realize this was not the case.

However, Quayle had committed the rules violation on multiple occasions by that time so saw his chances of victory go up in smoke on the spot while McCumber faced a far less punishing sanction.

Nevertheless, both players ultimately had their penalties to thank for denying them victory as McCumber finished second to Cory Crawford by a single stroke and Quayle was solo third.