Extraordinary rule reversal helps DP World Tour pro make the cut

An incorrect ruling that was reversed saved one fortunate DP World Tour player from missing the cut at the Volvo China Open.

On Thursday at Hidden Grace Golf Club in Shenzhen, Ivan Cantero hit his tee shot right on the par-5 13th hole into a part of the course that he wasn’t sure was a penalty area or not, as reported by Ryan French of Monday Q Info.

A provisional ball is allowed in this situation if the player isn’t sure if his first ball went in a penalty area. A provisional is not permitted if they know their ball has entered a penalty area. Cantero’s second drive finished in the fairway. French wrote that the group realised it was indeed a penalty area when they walked down the hole and found the Spaniard’s first ball.

The report says that Cantero asked for a rules official who said because he hit a provisional, he couldn’t play his first ball anymore. Cantero allegedly reiterated that if he wasn’t sure about the penalty area’s existence, then he could play a provisional. A second official also ruled he couldn’t play his original ball.

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The 28-year-old did what he was told and played his fourth shot from the fairway and made an impressive par. French wrote that the rules officials met with Cantero after he finished the round to inform him that the ruling was incorrect. A stroke was taken off his score which became a birdie four.

Rule 20.2a in the rules of golf says a referee can get a second opinion from another referee and 20.2d says if a ruling by a referee or the committee is later found to be wrong, the ruling will be corrected unless it is too late to do so.

Luckily for Cantero, the mistake was realised and rectified in the nick of time. The altered score gave him a 70 instead of a 71. His second-round 71 helped him make the cut by one shot on three-under-par. Oh, what could’ve been?

After the third round in China was wiped out due to bad weather, Cantero went on to finish tied for 23rd in the revised 54-hole format. French added to his report that the PGA rules officials he spoke with had never seen that rule used to lower a player’s score.

French also reported that some players were frustrated with the initial wrong ruling and the subsequent ruling which allowed Cantero to play into the weekend.

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