How two players find themselves playing in a PGA Tour tournament when they were not eligible…

Two golfers will compete this week in the Black Desert Championship, a new tournament on the PGA Tour calendar. These two Americans came out of the traditional Monday qualifications. Problem, they were not eligible for these “qualifiers”…

The rules for accessing tournaments PGA Tour are however very strict, and for good reason because access to this lucrative circuit is a real labor right for professionals whose lives can be turned upside down if they access this Grail circuit. But then, how were two players not eligible for qualifying able to compete (and escape)?

Chris Short et John Sand benefited, like two other players but who did not know how to seize their chance, from a technical error by the Utah PGA section.

To participate in the Monday qualifications of these PGA Tour tournaments, a player must either have his PGA Tour card (but therefore without having sufficient playing rights to play directly in the event) or Korn Ferry Touror either be a player who is not a member of either of these tours but who has managed to make a cut on the PGA Tour in the current season, one way or another .

The lucky ones and a few other players registered by mistake for the qualifiers, who were arguing on the Sand Hollow Golf Resort’s Championship Course at Hurricane in the state of Utah, would have had to first play the pre-qualifying tournament to access these “Monday Q”.

The anger of other players

“This is an administrative error made by the tournament director,” explained Utah PGA Section member Devin Dhelin.

“This is the first time we have organized these Monday qualifications, we made a mistake. The director concerned has organized hundreds of tests without encountering the slightest problem, but yes, he was wrong on this one.”

Obviously this unfortunate error provoked the anger of other players, those who had to play the pre-qualifications (and therefore pay for their registration, some unsuccessfully demanded a refund) and those who were beaten by Korte and Sand in the qualifications Monday. So Jim Knousbeaten by the two lucky winners after playing -6, called for a repechage to compete in the Black Desert Championship. Also without success.

It now remains to carefully follow the performance of Chris Korte and John Sand for their debuts on the PGA Tour. If they make the cut, or better yet, the affair could still be talked about…

Photo AITOR ALCALDE / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP