Jordan Spieth was disqualified from the Genesis Invitational over a rule that just does not make sense anymore.
Story we are following from ESPN:
LOS ANGELES — Jordan Spieth was disqualified after the second round of the Genesis Invitational on Friday for signing an incorrect scorecard.
Spieth, a three-time major winner, signed for a par on the 245-yard par-3 4th hole at Riviera Country Club, but he made a bogey after missing a 5-foot putt.
Spieth acknowledged the error later Friday in a post on X.
“Today, I signed for an incorrect scorecard and stepped out of the scoring area, after thinking I went through all procedures to make sure it was correct,” wrote Spieth, who won an NCAA title with Texas at Riviera. “Rules are rules, and I take full responsibility. I love this tournament and golf course as much as any on @PGATOUR so it hurts to not have a run at the weekend. Really appreciated the support in LA.”
After an opening round 5-under 66 on Thursday, Spieth shot 2-over 73 on Friday before the disqualification.
Following a double bogey on the 18th hole that dropped him back to 3-under for the tournament, Spieth quickly fist-bumped his playing partners and their caddies before sprinting up the steps to the Riviera clubhouse.
Earlier in the day, Sky Sports reported that Spieth had not been feeling well.
In 2022, Spieth was disqualified from the JP McManus Pro-Am for scooping up his ball on the 14th green before holing out. Spieth thought he did not need to finish the hole because his score would not count for the team portion. However, the pro-am also featured an individual leaderboard for professionals, and Spieth was disqualified for not finishing out the hole.
This season, Spieth has two top-10 finishes, including a third-place finish at The Sentry in Hawaii. Friday’s round of 73 was Spieth’s worst of the season and only his second round of 2024 in the 70s.
LOS ANGELES — Patrick Cantlay began with an eagle and never let anyone close to him the rest of the round Friday. He shot a 6-under 65 to build a five-shot lead at the Genesis Invitational going into a weekend that won’t include Tiger Woods.
Woods made another early exit, this one because of flu symptoms instead of his injured body. He withdrew after six holes and spent the next two hours getting intravenous fluids before leaving Riviera, along with a big chunk of the gallery.
Cantlay has been making just about everything and giving himself loads of chances. He knows Riviera as well as any PGA Tour course, having gone to UCLA. He probably has played this course some 70 times in college and as a pro.
“Putting great and leaving the golf ball in the right spot, which is really key around here,” Cantlay said, who leads the field in the key putting statistic. “It’s a golf course I’m really comfortable on and it’s in the best shape I’ve ever seen it.
“It’s the best putting surfaces I’ve ever seen around this place,” he said. “I like when the greens are really fast, they’re as fast as I’ve ever seen them and I’ve made a bunch.”
Even when he appeared to be in trouble, he managed just fine. Cantlay missed the fairway on the two toughest holes at Riviera, Nos. 12 and 15. He hit 4-iron to 10 feet on No. 12 – he missed the birdie putt – and 4-iron to 3 feet on the No. 15, making one of only three birdies on that hole in the second round.
He was at 13-under 129, giving him a five-shot lead over Jason Day (69), Luke List (69) and Mackenzie Hughes (65).
Woods wasn’t the only surprising departure. Jordan Spieth, who played with Cantlay, had a rough finish that left him 10 shots behind, only to sign an incorrect scorecard and get disqualified.
That left Riviera with a 51-man field for the weekend. This signature event has a 36-hole cut to the top 50 and ties and anyone within 10 shots – the latter wasn’t an issue because of Cantlay. The cut came at 1-over 143, eliminating Pebble Beach winner Wyndham Clark and Justin Thomas.
Day and List played in the morning and set the target at 8 under, and it didn’t take long for Cantlay to catch them. He hit his approach on the par-5 opening hole to 15 feet behind the flag and holed it for eagle.
The big excitement belonged to Will Zalatoris, who had a 70 that only looked ordinary on the scorecard. Zalatoris had five bogeys and four birdies, along with a hole-in-one on the 14th hole. This ace came with a car, not only for Zalatoris but for caddie Joel Stock.
Corey Conners of Canada had a 65 and was in fifth place. Zalatoris was joined by Xander Schauffele (66) and Tom Hoge (70). Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player, had another sublime performance from tee-to-green and more struggles on the greens for a 70.
Rory McIlroy can replace Scheffler at No. 1 in the world only with a win, and his first step was to make it to the weekend. McIlroy had a 66 to take care of the first part, though that still leaves him eight shots behind Cantlay, who isn’t doing much wrong.
But maybe the bigger story over the weekend that was talked about in golf was the fact that Jordan spe signed signed an incorrect scorecard um and listen there’s Merit to both sides of this okay there’s Merit to both sides for those that don’t know that didn’t
See it over the weekend because I know it was a big big Sports weekend there’s a lot going on you probably maybe missed it um is Jordan Speed turned his scorecard in I believe on uh on Thursday or Friday um bear with me here on the day but that’s quite irrelevant uh he
Came off of a double bogey I believe on 18 so he’s probably a little upset walks into the clubhouse this is where you could blame it on the player but the rules are you must write your own score down right sign your scorecard that’s right hand it
To an official and if your score is not the correct score you’re automatically disqualified now the reason for that is obviously this is kind of a grandfathered thing from a long time ago where there weren’t scoring systems there wasn’t the technology ology that exists today you have other people on
The other side of the aisle that are going to scream hey this is 2024 why don’t we just make it easy everybody knows everybody scores why do we do this well I think some of it is tradition I do I think some of it is just the the concept that hey this is
What we’ve always done we’re going to continue to do it it’s not that hard of a thing to do and if we’re being honest how many rounds of golf have been played throughout the PGA Tour where you’ve ever heard of this happening before really on count of one hand that it’s
Happened so clearly it’s not that hard to do you walk into the clubhouse you ask the rules official hey you know what do you have this is what I have is there any discrepancy before I sign the card let’s figure out what the actual real
Thing is and then I’ll sign the card now that does beg the question though for being honest what’s the point if you can go in and you can ask what your score is before you sign it then why not just go in there and confirm your score and say
Yep we both are on on the same page and then you just submit it into the system that seems to be the more you know Common Sense way to do it but these Sports baseball’s baseball’s the same way um NFL I I don’t know if they’re quite the same but there are these
Little odds and ends things that are a little goofy that people like to keep around the game because it’s it’s always been that way it’s not that big of a deal but then you find yourself to where now maybe it is a big deal how is it not
A big deal I you have to I mean you have to spend another 30 minutes after the round you just played a four 4H hour round or whatever it was and now you’re sitting back in the clubhouse making sure every single thing’s correct uh and hoping it matches up with the with the
Actual score the electronic score that everybody knows is your score so now you have to go worry about that I think it’s nonsense if they know your score they know your score the only the the only push back I would have is in the slight chance is there any chance
In the world that the volunteers which is that’s what they are that the people that keep the scores there are all volunteers now the funny thing is is that they use that term Volunteers in a way in which it sounds like it’s the guy that you know that
Shows up to the to the uh the local festival or something and he and he helps you sling some beers for five minutes because he’s volunteering never been trained etc etc these volunteers to be clear probably have had training right and it’s probably one of those situations where they’re retired golfers
That love the fact they get to hang around the PGA Tour but they’re but it’s taken very seriously so the chances of them not having the correct score are very very slim I do like the cross check like the balances type thing like where okay this is what I have is this what
You have if we both are on the same page then we’re good I don’t know why it just seems to me like again we’re getting into the semantics of all this and maybe we don’t talk about something so stupid on on uh on on such a big big big busy weekend of
Sports but here’s the thing why don’t they just ask each other and then if there’s a discrepancy you just talk through it and figure out what the what the issue was and then boom you put the score in that seems to be the more yeah
If you want to if you want to keep this and you want to say make sure all all Every golfer plugs in their score and gives it to the per that’s fine but do what Trace is saying go and be like all right so let’s just double check real
Quick make sure everything’s good looks good all right disqualification seems like a pretty pretty tall tail the reason for disqualification in the past I would assume is cuz people are cheating correct that’s and that’s and and that seems fair and that’s during the ’90s or ‘ 80s when you know ’90s go
Day brother 9ss you’re going to throw the ’90s in there like it’s back in ancient I have a I I I didn’t I wasn’t able to watch golf in the 90s but I have a hard time imagining that the the technology was there to make sure everybody’s score was was was great was
Perfect every single time the ’90s ‘ 80s you want me say 70s what time let’s go back to like the 30s and the 40s man okay well the 30s and the 40s whatever but I before there was even television I mean there was television in the 30s but
My point is is like before there was golf televised golf the point is it’s this should not be a disqualification it’s it’s more of uh uh for for the the the traditions of the of the game this is this is nothing this is this is terrible for Jordan Speed and it’s bad
For go
