Former PGA Tour player Tyler McCumber saw his chances at the WA PGA Championship slip away on Saturday after a strange rules incident cost him two shots. The American had played rounds of 70 and 69 to sit tied for second place heading into the weekend, but a 4-over-par 76 derailed his push for the title. The penalty came from confusion over a ball marker on the second green during his round with playing partner Todd Sinnott.
To allow Sinnott to putt, McCumber shifted his marker one putter-head length sideways, but he could not remember if he returned it to the precise location. The official PGA Tour of Australasia X account received an explanation of the situation from tournament director Heath McLeod. McLeod noted that video review did not show a clear answer, so the player made the call himself.
The Rules of Uncertainty
Golf relies on players to police their own actions when cameras cannot see the truth. In this case, the footage was not enough to prove McCumber had replaced his marker correctly. Since the player himself felt unsure, he chose to take the hit rather than risk playing from the wrong place.
“Following Tyler’s round yesterday, he came into scorecard return and he was a little unsure about whether or not he’d moved his marker back on the second green,” McLeod said. The director added that the vision check was inconclusive, but McCumber “didn’t feel right, so he opted to take a two-stroke penalty.”
This incident adds to a history of unusual rule calls for the golfer. During the 2024 Victorian PGA Championship, he lost two shots after mistakenly thinking preferred lies applied alongside a partner. Those rules were not active, and the error cost him a shot while his partner lost seven strokes. McCumber finished second there, but the penalty at the WA PGA Championship was different because he chose to accept it without waiting for a ruling.
Winners and Losers on the Course
The two-shot hit hurt McCumber’s standing in the final round. A Sunday 74, which was 2-over-par, followed his Saturday 76, resulting in a tie for 26th place within the $250,000 tournament. The victory went to Justin Warren, who claimed the title at 11-under par. McCumber could not recover from the setback, even though he had been in a strong position earlier in the week.
McCumber placed 99th in the FedExCup standings for the 2020-21 PGA Tour season. His ability to move up the leaderboard now depends on avoiding more mistakes. The game demands strict attention to detail, especially when a player is unsure of their own actions on the course.
Why Honesty Still Matters
McCumber’s choice to take the penalty shows that integrity still drives the sport. He could have argued the video was unclear and tried to play on without a penalty. Instead, he accepted the cost because he felt he might have broken the rule. This kind of decision separates the great players from the rest.
Other players on tour face similar choices every week. The DP World Tour recently stated that “players must make a choice” regarding their futures, according to a report from Yahoo. While that story involves LIV Golf and European membership, the core idea remains the same. Players must decide how they want to play the game and live with the results.
For McCumber, the two-shot penalty was a tough lesson on a weekend that could have been much better.
