Tour pro almost hit with bizarre DQ after hotel hold-up
Well, this is one way of settling 1st-tee nerves. Meet Nick Voke, the Korn Ferry Tour player who was almost disqualified from a tournament in the most ludicrous of fashion.
Voke and caddie Leonard Powell got into the lift at their hotel just after 6am to make their way to the course to complete the second round of the Veritex Bank Championship. Voke had ended the previous day halfway down 17 and sitting right on the cut line when play was suspended.
Then the lift juddered to a halt between floors. Missing a tee time or, in this case, the restart, would result in a DQ.
“It was funny for like five minutes,” Powell told Golf.com. “We were just sitting there on our phones. Then it was like, ‘Ooh, this isn’t actually moving.’”
The pair posted a video on Instagram to keep themselves entertained, but the fun stopped when a representative from the Tour said there was nothing they could do if they were late.
According the report, Voke had considered prying the doors open and climbing out of the elevator. (Please, if you ever find yourself stuck in a lift, don’t try this.)
Then, 46 minutes after getting into the lift, they were free and, with a minimal warm-up, took their position on 17.
“The morning was such a whirlwind, so we didn’t know what to expect,” Voke said. “Caught it a little thin, didn’t fly as far, kicked a little further and we made a birdie.”
The pair made par on 18 to make the cut before posting a third-round 65 later in the day. Voke finished with a 73 and a tie for 46th.
As for hotels, Powell quipped: “We’ll be taking the stairs now.”
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Alex Perry
Alex has been the editor of National Club Golfer since 2017. A Devonian who enjoys wittering on about his south west roots, Alex moved north to join NCG after more than a decade in London, the last five of which were with ESPN. Away from golf, Alex follows Torquay United and spends too much time playing his PlayStation or his guitar and not enough time practising his short game.
