A mix-up that cost Cameron Davis and Will Zalatoris two shots… and thousands of pounds at The Sentry tournament in Hawaii. During the final round, both players made a crucial mistake, although neither was in contention for the title, which ultimately went to Hideki Matsuyama.
It all happened on the 551-yard, par-5 15th hole on Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course. After two good shots that left both with little visibility towards the green (48 yards for Davis and 37 yards for Zalatoris), both hit the other’s golf ball without realizing it, even though their placement was noticeably different.
Upon reaching the green, the two players realized the mistake and returned to the position of what should have been their third shot before continuing from the correct place. This error cost them two penalty strokes. However, it could have been worse, as both would have been disqualified if they had played the 16th hole without correcting their mistake.
“After realizing their mistake upon reaching the green, they replayed from the correct location of their third shot, but now played their fifth shot instead of their third, per the Rules of Golf,” the PGA Tour said. Australian Davis finished at 22 under par and took home $410,000 (£328,000) in prize money, but would have won $715,625 (£572,000) without the two-stroke penalty. Zalatoris, meanwhile, finished the event at 19 under par and won $163,333 (£131,000) instead of $283,200 (£226,000).
