Englishman Sam Bairstow was fined �25,000 ($33,810) for failing to properly replace his ball in the rough. The left-hander on the DP World Tour, exposed by a video, disqualified himself before the second round of the Nexo Championship in early August.
Fine, results
Betrayed by the video! On hole 14 at Trump International Golf Links during the first round of the Nexo Championship on Thursday, August 7, Sam Bairstow found his ball suspended in deep rough. As he approached address, it disappeared into the same rough, but instead of replacing it and incurring a penalty stroke, the English left-hander played it from its new position.
A fatal error, since the infraction was... filmed. A video of a fan catching the player cheating was immediately sent to the DP World Tour headquarters in Wentworth, England. After analyzing the facts, the refereeing body was forced to assess him a penalty stroke for not replacing the ball where it originally lay and another for playing it from the wrong spot.
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Aware of his gross error, Sam Bairstow disqualified himself before the start of the second round of the Nexo Championship. According to the Daily Telegraph, which reported the case, the player was found guilty of violating the DP World Tour's Code of Conduct and sanctioned accordingly.
Currently 62nd in the Race to Dubai, Sam Bairstow has a period of time to appeal the financial penalty.
The Rules of Golf are a set of standards and procedures by which the sport of golf should be played. They are jointly written and administered by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf worldwide, except in the United States and Mexico, which are governed by the United States Golf Association. An expert committee composed of members of the R&A and the USGA oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision took effect on January 1, 2016. Amendments to the Rules of Golf are generally divided into two main categories: those that improve understanding and those that reduce penalties in certain cases to ensure balance. The rulebook, entitled "Rules of Golf," is published regularly and also includes rules governing amateur status. In Italy, the Italian Golf Federation is responsible for overseeing competitions by enforcing the rules issued by the R&A, ensuring that these rules are observed by clubs, associations, and their members, and managing the resulting sporting justice, protecting their interests abroad.
