Ben Crane’s return to PGA Tour form was cut short by a rare and unfortunate rules infraction during the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic. After finally making his first cut of the season, the 48-year-old veteran was disqualified during the third round under Rule 6.3c(1), which governs playing the wrong ball.
This particular rule was triggered when Crane hit a tee shot into a penalty area on the 8th hole. He then dropped a new ball and continued play, believing he had correctly taken a penalty drop. Moments later, however, he discovered what he thought was the drop ball was actually his original ball, redirected by a rock. In the confusion, Crane played the original ball instead, violating the rule.
Crane candidly explained in a video:
- He assumed the ball in play was the drop ball.
- Upon noticing a rock scuff, he realized too late it was actually his original tee shot.
According to PGA regulations, players can correct such errors if they haven’t started the next hole. Unfortunately, Crane had already completed the 8th hole and teed off at the 9th, making the infraction irreversible and leading to his disqualification.
This incident highlights several key aspects of professional golf:
- The importance of rule adherence, especially for those with conditional status.
- The self-reporting nature of golf and its roots in honesty.
- The narrow margins that even experienced players must navigate.
With five career PGA Tour wins, but no victories since 2014, Crane was hoping to turn a corner. Limited starts mean every tournament counts, and this one slipped away due to a preventable mistake.
Will it be a turning point or a final chapter? Only time will tell.
For more on this story, visit the original article on NBC Sports.
