In golf’s high-stakes game, even the pros can stray. A mishap, a breach, and disqualifications show no one’s immune. We got a first-hand example of that when Hideki Matsuyama found himself in hot water at the 2022 Memorial Tournament. Disqualified for using a non-conforming club (violating Equipment Standards Rule 4.c(3)), the issue stemmed from a Liquid Paper-like substance on the face of Matsuyama’s 3-wood, that could change the flight characteristics of the ball, as opposed to its original function: Alignment aid.

And then there’s five-time PGA Tour winner Ben Crane—renowned for his precise play—who’s encountered this bitter reality on several occasions. He suffered a heartbreaking disqualification at the October 2015 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open after self-reporting a first-round violation to PGA Tour officials. The golfer had just completed his second round and was 4 under par, when he reportedly violated Rule 13-4 (Ball in hazard; Prohibited actions) in the opening round. Explaining himself on X later, he wrote, “I drove my ball into the hazard and when I went to look for it I accidentally touched a rock with my club. I abandoned the ball so I didn’t think there was a problem but…I checked with the riles staff…They said that even though I abandoned it it was a penalty.”

And then there was the Albertsons Boise Open on the Web.com incident merely two years later when Crane was disqualified again for self-reporting about playing with a non-conforming club for two holes—Trackman stickers, that help launch monitors collect data stuck to them, on both his driver and 6-iron on the 11th hole. “Had a new “that’s golf” moment today,” he had reacted yet again. And, come 2025, looks like Crane just made himself another bizarre chance to hop on X with an explanation again (which he actually did, but let’s talk about that a bit later)…

The Corales Puntacana Championship, carrying a $4 million prize purse, was supposed to be Crane’s proving ground after making his first PGA Tour cut of the year in three tournaments. However, he soon gave audiences a chance to finally forget Tyler Duncan’s driver head flying off mid-round in 2023, with an even more outlandish incident. The 49-year-old committed a serious rule violation in the third round when he accidentally played his playing companion David Lipsky’s ball on the eighth hole. It was a Rule 6.3c(1) violation, which stipulates that a player must fix a mistake of playing the wrong ball before making a stroke to begin the following hole. In a tweet on April 19, PGA Tour Communications also reported the disqualification stating, “Ben Crane was disqualified during the third round of the Corales Puntacana Championship for a breach of Rule 6.3c(1) that occurred on hole No. 8. Crane played a wrong ball on hole No. 8 and failed to correct the error before making a stroke to begin hole No. 9.”

Crane finished the weekend cut at four-under-par after shooting rounds of 69 and 71 at the time of the incident. However, before the accident on the eighth hole, he had dropped to one over par after making bogeys on holes three and six and then birdieing on seventeen. Crane proceeded to record par on holes nine and 10 before his final action of the competition was a third bogey of his round on the eleventh hole.

His participation in the event was terminated, and the disqualification further marred his professional record. And, as expected, the veteran even took to social media to explain himself…

Ben Crane details his heartbreak

This is not the first time Crane has been disqualified for breaking the rules. And it’s certainly not the last, it seems. Yet, like a true professional, the golfer took the decision in stride and even hopped on X on April 18.

Captioned, “Disqualified myself today here is why,” he began, “Now I have two balls in the fairway, I assume that my ball hit on the right was the … second one I put in play. And I play that golf ball and putt out and realize there’s a big rock stuck on that ball. And you know you do a good job of identifying when I took my drop of what number I was playing. And I realized I had played the wrong golf ball through the hole.”

“And realize I have to disqualify myself because I’m pretty sure that’s the ball that I had abandoned, and I played it.”

Crane’s willingness to disclose his transgressions despite harsh consequences demonstrates his dedication to integrity. Even if these behaviours preserve the essence of the game, a player’s reputation and career path may suffer from repeated infractions.

Ben Crane’s career, characterized by noteworthy triumphs and admirable sportsmanship, also serves as a warning about the realities of professional golf. Even small mistakes can have significant repercussions in a sport where accuracy and adherence to the rules are crucial.