Asian Tour says player at heart of 2-shot penalty row acted on referee’s advice
Hur In-hoi finished in a three-way tie for first in the Maekyung Open, but missed play-off after being punished for incident a day earlier
The Asian Tour and Korea Golf Association have acknowledged their roles in the messy incident that led to Hur In-hoi being penalised as he prepared to take part in a play-off for the GS Caltex Maekyung Open on Sunday.
Hur had put together a final round seven-under-par 64 to climb into a share of the lead with Song Min-hyuk and Cho Ming-yu, only to be told he had incurred a two-shot penalty for an incident 24 hours earlier.
Then, Hur had played a provisional ball on the par-4 seventh under the advice of a tournament referee, but only signed for a par as part of a third round 69.
A spotter had picked up the 38-year-old’s first tee shot believing it had gone out of bounds, something that was disputed, and there was no agreement as to where the ball should be placed.
Officials told Hur to play his second ball, with the understanding that a final ruling would be made post-round. It was the slowness of that decision, plus Hur opting to sign for a score he should have known was wrong, that caused all the trouble.
In a statement, the Tour, which co-sanctioned the event with the KGA, acknowledged the “timing and communication of a ruling that ultimately impacted the outcome of the tournament”.