Former PGA Tour golfer hit with bizarre two-shot penalty

Former PGA Tour player Tyler McCumber was hit with a two-stroke penalty during a PGA Tour of Australasia event over the weekend. 

The American had put himself in contention at the WA PGA Championship after opening with rounds of 70 and 69, leaving him tied for second heading into the weekend. 

But a 4-over-par 76 on Saturday derailed his challenge, with the penalty contributing to his slide down the leaderboard.

The incident occurred on the second green, where McCumber was playing alongside Todd Sinnott. 

After marking his ball, McCumber moved his marker one putter-head length to the side to give Sinnott a clear line to the hole.

The uncertainty arose over whether McCumber had returned his marker to its original position before playing his next shot.

Tournament director Heath McLeod explained what happened to the official PGA Tour of Australasia X account.

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"Following Tyler's round yesterday, he came into scorecard return and he was a little unsure about whether or not he'd moved his marker back on the second green," McLeod said.

"He moved it across one putter head to allow Todd [Sinnott] to putt and Tyler was unsure whether he'd put it back."

Officials reviewed the available footage, but it did not conclusively establish whether McCumber had replaced his marker correctly. 

With the player himself uncertain, he elected to accept a two-shot penalty for potentially playing from the wrong place.

"We checked the vision and the vision was a bit inconclusive. But Tyler in himself was unsure and didn't feel right, so he opted to take a two-stroke penalty," McLeod added.

McCumber, who finished 99th in the FedExCup standings during the 2020-21 PGA Tour season, was unable to recover from the setback. 

He followed his third-round 76 with a 2-over-par 74 on Sunday to finish tied for 26th in the $250,000 tournament.

Justin Warren claimed the title at 11-under par.

McCumber is no stranger to receiving penalties on the circuit in bizarre circumstances. 

At the 2024 Victorian PGA Championship, he was docked two shots after he and playing partner Anthony Quayle incorrectly believed preferred lies were permitted.

McCumber had asked Quayle whether the local rule was in effect during the opening round, and Quayle confirmed that it was. 

The players subsequently discovered that preferred lies had not been introduced.

By then, Quayle had breached the rules on multiple occasions and received a seven-stroke penalty, severely damaging his chances of winning. 

He eventually finished third, while McCumber placed second, one shot behind champion Cory Crawford.