'Controversial Golf Rule'... Sabatini's 'Sticker Disqualification'

PGA Tour 2022 RSM Classic First Day Mistakes

It was a mistake by Rory Sabbatini, the silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics (Slovakia).

On the first day of the 2021/2022 PGA Tour RSM Classic held at Sea Island Golf Club in Sea Island, Georgia, USA, in November 2021, he was disqualified. He played with a sticker attached to the face of his fairway wood and reported this to the rules committee after submitting his scorecard. Sabbatini had put the sticker on the face of the fairway wood during practice to accurately identify the impact point. However, he forgot to remove it before the tournament and brought it onto the course, which caused the problem.

This was a violation of golf rule 4.1. The rule states that no substance may be attached or applied to the face of the club to affect its action. The rules committee ruled that the sticker attached to the face was an illegal attachment. Despite shooting 4 under par 68 on the first day, Sabbatini was notified of his disqualification.

After the Sabbatini incident, the United States Golf Association (USGA) revised the rule. According to rule 4.1a(3), golfers can continue to play without penalty if they remove the club face sticker before using the club. Previously, even if the sticker was removed, the club could not be used.

Sabbatini is a golfer originally from South Africa. He turned professional in 1998 and has accumulated eight wins on the PGA Tour. To participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Sabbatini acquired new citizenship based on the nationality of his second wife, Martina Stopanikova (Slovakia). He is the first PGA Tour member from Slovakia. Sabbatini finished second at the Tokyo Olympics, behind Xander Schauffele (USA).