A PGA Tour star was disqualified in the middle of the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal Golf Course in Mexico. Emilio Gonzalez had an opening round of 73 on the course, which Tiger Woods helped design, before returning for a two-under 71 in the second round.
However, it wasn’t enough for Gonzalez to make the cut, as he fell two shots short of the required score. This was a disappointing outcome for Gonzalez, who had received a sponsorship exemption to compete in the event, which had a substantial $7.2m total purse.
But things took a turn for the worse for the crowd favorite when it was announced on Friday night, just hours after Gonzalez was eliminated from the competition, that he had been disqualified.
The incident revolved around a tee shot on the 15th hole that ended up in the desert area of the course. Gonzalez chose to play a provisional shot before going out to look for his mishit ball. His initial tee shot was found within the allotted three-minute period, giving him a reprieve.
However, Gonzalez didn’t seem convinced and continued with his provisional shot, suggesting he didn’t believe the found ball was his. Gonzalez found himself in hot water after the PGA Tour enforced a strict penalty for his error. The official PGA Tour account posted on X, stating: “Emilio Gonzalez was disqualified after the second round of the World Wide Technology Championship due to a breach of Rule 18.3. (Provisional Ball).”
This capped off a dismal performance for Gonzalez, who had previously expressed optimism about his progress, saying: “It’s a matter to keep improving in the direction I’m going” and “I think I’m doing things right, trust my process and polishing my game on the green and around the green.”