ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA (WALB) — After his 4-under 68 on the Plantation Course in the first round of the RSM Classic on Thursday, Olympic silver medalist Rory Sabbatini had an uneasy feeling about something.
So he dialed John Mutch, a PGA Tour official.
Sabbatini was disqualified at the end of the call.
Sabbatini was disqualified for possessing a non-conforming external attachment on one of his fairway woods, as per Rule 4.1 of the Rules of Golf. Sabbatini had non-conforming stickers on the face of the club, according to Mutch, senior tournament director equipment standards.
To track clubhead speed and distance, some players utilize reflective dots (stickers) and a launch monitor. Sabbatini almost certainly forgot about them on the fairway wood.
Sabbatini is rated 105th in the world after missing out on a gold medal at the Summer Games in Tokyo by one shot. He missed two cuts in his first three starts of the season and tied for third in the Shriners Children’s Open.