Golfer DQ'd from US Open qualifying after going to the bathroom

A 16-year-old golfer was disqualified from US Open sectional qualifying following a trip to the bathroom.

According to a Golfweek report, Skyler Fox had began suffering from a migraine headache and following his round at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, went straight from the 18th green to his car to pick up some medicine en route to the bathroom.

Fox, winner of Pittsburgh's Class 2A Boys state title the past three years, was unlikely going to advance to Pebble Beach next week after a 6-over 78, but he never even got the chance to mount a comeback after being DQ'd under Rule 3.3b (2) for not "promptly returning" a scorecard upon completion of a round.

Reports claim that by the time Fox got the scoring area to sign his scorecard that tournament officials had already put 'NC' next to his name to indicate he had failed to turn in a card.

Fox said the other two players in his group were just leaving the scoring area when he arrived, but according to USGA communications manager Brian DePasquale, Fox "went to lunch and did not enter the scoring area until the following group had returned their cards," some 15 minutes after his round had ended.

"The kid had to go to the bathroom," Fox's father, Joe Fox, told Golfweek.

"It wasn't like he was winning the thing. So would it really have killed you to let him finish?"

As things eventually played out in the second round, Fox would have needed to shoot an 8-under 64 to advance to the US Open at Pebble Beach.

USGA senior director Craig Winter said: "It's well-established in the rule that players, should they become suddenly ill, have time to figure out, recuperate, see if they can continue, and that's no different if you just started your round or you're returning to scoring."