Why was Kamaiu Johnson disqualified from the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational? 

Kamaiu Johnson was unfortunately disqualified from the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational after signing an incorrect scorecard. The 29-year-old was deemed to be in violation of Rule 3.3b.

The incident took place on the ninth hole when Johnson made a triple bogey 7 but signed for a 6, resulting in him being disqualified from the tournament.

Johnson claimed to have made it six on the 9th tee and was later questioned by Kyle Westmoreland, who was playing by his side.

ShotLink data showed that the American golfer missed a par putt from around 22 feet, which was followed by missing putts from four-foot.

Speaking about the missing shot, Westmoreland said:

"We were on the clock, so I walked off. I assumed he made the one after he missed."

The dispute was later resolved by the Tour officials and a video shared by ShotLink confirmed that Kamaiu Johnson made a triple-bogey 7, for which he was disqualified from the tournaments.

Westmoreland went on to add:

"It happens, I guess. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter. He missed the cut. It doesn't look great, I guess, for some people, but I don't have much to comment on. It was a non-factor. I think the Tour handled it well."

Kamaiu Johnson later issued an apology on his social media page and tweeted that he missed the count on his putts. He wrote:

"I take the integrity of the game very seriously and I'm sorry this happened. I got a little overwhelmed in the moment with the group on the clock and lost count on my missed putts from 3 feet. I'll do better."

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Early and professional career of Kamaiu Johnson

Kamaiu Johnson is an aspiring professional golfer who turned pro in 2017. He was brought up in Tallahassee, Florida, and picked up golf at the age of 14. Johnson started his golfing journey in 2007 after his family moved near Haliman GC in Tallahassee.

Johnson played competitive baseball when he was young. He is a fan of former Major League Baseball player Miguel Tejada.

Kamaiu Johnson has just started his career and is waiting for his first professional win. He competed at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, which concluded on March 5, Sunday.

Kurt Kitayama won the tournament after finishing up with a scoring deficit of nine. He won $3.6 million in prize money from the purse of $20 million. The former World No. 1, Rory McIlroy, finished in second position alongside Harris English and took home $1.7 million in prize money.

Patrick Cantlay clinched the fourth position, finishing in a four-way tie alongside Tyrell Hatton, Scottie Scheffler, and Jordan Spieth.

Trey Mullinax and Davis Riley ended the final round at a score-under-six to secure the eighth position, followed by Keegan Bradley, Jason Day, Cameron Young, and Viktor Hovland tied for 10th place.

It is pertinent to note that Kurt Kitayama won his first PGA Tour event. He took a single lead after the second round on Friday and extended it over the next two days. He finally lifted the trophy on Sunday. However, Jon Rahm, who led the tournament after the first round, finished in the 39th position.