Seniors Disqualified From Tournament For Playing The Wrong Ball

Paul Lawrie and Carl Mason were both disqualified for playing each other's balls during the first round

Seniors Disqualified From Tournament For Playing The Wrong Ball

Paul Lawrie and Carl Mason have been disqualified from the Farmfoods European Legends Links Championship for playing each other’s golf ball by mistake.

They were disqualified from the tournament at Trevose in Cornwall under Rule 6.3, which says that hitting the wrong ball must be penalised with disqualification if the round is finished or a new hole is begun without the error corrected.

Both players completed the opening six holes before being disqualified, meaning that they didn’t realise that they had played the wrong balls until after the hole had been completed.

1999 Open champion Lawrie was one under for the day, whilst Mason was two over.

Lawrie later revealed on Twitter that they hit the wrong balls on the 5th hole but didn’t notice until the 7th tee.

“First time I’ve ever done that,” he said.

“We both had similar marking on ball.”

• Related: Challenge Tour player DQ’d for running out of golf balls

Rule 6.3 says –

A player must not make a stroke at a wrong ball.

In stroke play, the player must correct the mistake by continuing play with the original ball by playing it as it lies or taking relief under the Rules –

• The stroke made with the wrong ball and any more strokes before the mistake is corrected (including strokes made and any penalty strokes solely from playing that ball) do not count.
• If the player does not correct the mistake before making a stroke to begin another hole or, for the final hole of the round, before returning his or her scorecard, the player is disqualified.

Paul Lawrie, 50, now plays mainly on the over-50s circuit, most recently appearing in the Senior Open Hauts de France where he was T13th.

The Scot has won eight times on the European Tour including his Open Championship win at Carnoustie in 1999.

Carl Mason, 65, is the most successful European Senior Tour player of all time, winning 25 times.