Innocent mistake, harsh penalty; Jim Furyk faces a DQ
With the FedEx cup under way, The Barclays Tournament will continue till the 29th of August. Jim Furyk has faced a disqualification from the playoff event on Wednesday. The player’s inability to attend the tee time this week had been the trigger and it seems as if the Ridgewood country club didn’t seem to work well for the third-spot holder. Furyk won’t be playing the first four playoff events this week.
Along with the Ernie Els and Steve Stricker at number one and two, Furyk was supposed to play the first two rounds with them. The tournament in New Jersey has a purse of $7,500,000 with defending champion Heath Slocum.
The Grinder has a count of twenty-five professional wins with fifteen PGA tour wins. He is the winner of one major championship, the US open.
Recent reports suggest that the Tournament underway is certainly taking its toll on the players. Golf’s rules have never been a smooth road for many. For what may seem like an innocent mistake, the results may surprise you. This disqualification counts to number three alone in the current month, suggesting a rather rocky month on the procedure front.
Furyk blames it on his cell phone, and it seems to be self explanatory. According to Jim Furyk, his cell had a low battery which had caused him the miss. The battery caused a failure in the alarm system and resulted in costing him the playoff. Furyk says he has a way climbing into rather unintelligent situations.
Given the recent incident, Dustin Johnson and Juli Inkster’s disqualification cannot be forgotten. The PGA championship and the LPGA tour are still fresh in many minds. Johnson had to face a two stroke penalty, when at bunker number 18 he was accused for grounding his club in the final round, leading him into a DQ. Inkster, however, had a weighted doughnut attached with her club. Her loose mid-round swinging of the club caused her a DQ last week as well.
According to the Rules of Golf, missing Pro-am time is going to cost you a DQ. The regulations state that those who miss tee-time due to any reason shall not play in the week’s event. Of course family emergencies or an injury stands as exception. Given the rules Furyk’s penalty was imminent.
The policymakers say this is to care for the amateurs who play and pay. The pro-am time is a biggie for the proletarians; therefore, they pay a magnanimous price in regards to “tee-ing”. Other than that, it tarnishes the franchise image too. This rule was passed several years ago considering the withdrawals of a high profile.
Even five minutes late is late enough. The tee-off was scheduled at 7:30 am and Furyks arrived at approximately 7:35. He stated that since his alarm clock malfunctioned, he woke up seven minutes before tee-time. At the course seat, Furyk was seen with no socks or belt with his shoe laces untied.
Jim Furyks currently stands at number three in the FedEx Cup. According to Furyk, no matter what the tournament it would have been, he would be as upset as he was in this one. Furyk’s disqualification will have a way in hurting his score as well. The FedEx Cup holds 2,500 points.
Before the Tour Championship, the points will be reset and only those who stand at the top five spots can profess for the FedEx Cup. Considering Furyk and the penalty, only the rest will tell the story. With the current DQ the number three may fall till number 19.
The Grinder confessed that it was his fault. Furyk is known to be a man who plays with his heart and the current DQ is nothing but his own mistake. However, he is still eligible to play in the next playoff, The Deutsche Bank Championship. The championship will be played in Boston where the gates open at 7:30 a.m.
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