'Controversial Golf Rule'... 'Because of Brian's Practice Club'

Last Year's Sanderson Farms Championship Monday Qualifying Situation

It was a 'ridiculous mistake' by Wesley Bryan (USA).

It happened at the Monday qualifier for the Sanderson Farms Championship (total prize money $7 million) on the PGA Tour last September. At the 3rd hole, Bryan realized the moment he took out his 7-iron that it was not the club he had been using. The club he had been testing at the practice range before the tournament was still in his caddie bag.

Wesley Brian

According to golf rule 4.1b, a player is allowed a maximum of 14 clubs. If violated, the player receives a two-stroke penalty per hole, up to a maximum of four strokes for the round. Bryan forgot to remove the practice club before the round started. He played two holes with 15 clubs and was penalized four strokes.

Bryan debuted on the PGA Tour in 2016 and won his first title at the RBC Heritage in April 2017. His current world ranking is 910th. Although relatively unknown as a player, he is well-known on the internet. His story of paying the qualifying (Q) school entry fee with money earned from 'trick shot' videos is famous.

In the 4th round of the 2017 PGA Tour BMW Championship, Bryan made headlines. Among 69 players competing in pairs, he was the only one to play alone. He ran between holes and threw clubs back and forth with his caddie, who was far away, making every effort to shorten the playing time. Bryan finished the round in 1 hour and 29 minutes. He expressed satisfaction with his speed by posting '1 hour 29 minutes' on social media (SNS).