Pro disqualified from first Korn Ferry Tour event: "I should have known!"
A pro making his Korn Ferry Tour debut was disqualified after just two holes.
It was a nightmare first Korn Ferry Tour start for one professional golfer this week.
The PGA Tour's feeder circuit is in Springfield, Illinois, for the Memorial Health Championship, it's 16th event of the season.
Thursday's first round saw tough weather conditions, so much so that the tournament was suspended for nearly five hours after a Tornado warning was issued in the area.
Play eventually resumed, but was suspended for darkness again shortly after.
Colin Featherstone, 34, held the lead as Thursday's round was cut short, after shooting a career-low 8-under 63.
Though the first round was completed on Friday, the second round was not.
Heading into Saturday, Paul Barjon and Marin Contini share the lead at 15-under par.
Paul Barjon is heating up
He's -7 through 11 with a three shot lead in the second round @MHChampionship. pic.twitter.com/cGF5YvL1HA— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) June 30, 2023
But one tour pro was not having the same luck.
Zach Williams, a 23-year-old Southern Indiana alum, was making his first ever Korn Ferry Tour start this week, in his home state, after Monday Qualifying for the event.
But before he could even get through three holes on Thursday, Williams was disqualified from the tournament.
Per the Twitter account Monday Q Info, Williams had been using a range finder during the tournament, which is not allowed at Korn Ferry Tour events.
Williams responded to the tweet, giving a bit more insight into his costly mistake:
"Sadly, this is me," he wrote. "For some reason I thought they had changed the rule already on the KFT. Plus they allow in literally all other pro events besides KFT and PGA. Bottom line, I should have known, and its completely on me. Hard to swallow but you have to. I'll be back in no time."
Sadly, this is me. For some reason I thought they had changed the rule already on the KFT. Plus they allow in literally all other pro events besides KFT and PGA. Bottomline, I should have known, and its completely on me. Hard to swallow but you have to. I'll be back in no time https://t.co/K6S3LPnag6
— Zach Williams (@zwill_3) June 30, 2023
Williams was even through his first two holes after starting on the back nine at Panther Creek Country Club before his tournament was cut brutally short.