Why was LIV Golf's Scott Vincent handed a two-stroke penalty at the International Series Morocco? Rules explained

Scott Vincent of LIV Golf found himself in a bizarre situation during the first round of the International Series Morocco, as he had to play with rental clubs. To make matters worse, he received a two-stroke penalty on the first hole for arriving late.

On Thursday, July 4th, Vincent started well at the International Series Oman, carding a 5-under 68 to finish just two strokes behind the lead. He made five birdies, one eagle, and one double bogey, the latter resulting from a penalty.

Scott Vincent's clubs did not arrive on time with him at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course), and the airlines failed to deliver them in the following days. Further, due to a miscommunication with airline officials, he reached the golf course just 30 seconds before the deadline, which could have resulted in disqualification. Instead, he received a two-stroke penalty for breaching Rule 5.3(a).

Per Rule 5.3(a), a player must start their round at the allotted tee time. For example, if the golfer's tee time is 7:00 am, they must start precisely at 7:00:00, neither before nor after. Breaching this rule can lead to disqualification. However, the player is not disqualified in three exceptions:

1. The player arrived late but was ready to play within five minutes after the tee time. In this case, a general penalty is handed on the first hole.
2. The player started early but not more than five minutes early. A general penalty is given on the first hole
3. The third exception is when the committee agrees that the player failed to start on tee time due to exceptional circumstances. In this case, no penalty is given.

Scott Vincent was given a two-stroke penalty under the first exception. Had he been 30 more seconds late, he would have gotten disqualified. Notably, the first alternate was already prepared and was standing near the tee. Thankfully, the golfer arrived on time and played well despite using the rental clubs.

---

How did Scott Vincent perform in the second round of the International Series Morocco?

Scott Vincent carded 2-under 68 in the second round of the International Series Morocco. At the time of writing this article, he was one shot behind the leader Jinichiro Kozuma. He picked up six birdies, bogeyed two holes, and made one double bogey in his round.

The projected cut as of now is at par, and around 70 players are expected to progress to the weekend. The purse size for the Internationa Series Morocco is $2 million. The fourth International Series of the year will take place from August 8 to 11 in Foxhills (Longcross Course), England.