[U.S. OPEN QUALIFYING]
Kevin Hayashi hit his approach shot on the 12th fairway at Turtle Bay in sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open yesterday.
Hayashi hurt by new rule
A mistake by his caddy resulted
in a penalty that may have cost
him a spot in the U.S. Open
Kevin Hayashi will never know for sure if a rule violation cost him a chance at next week's U.S. Open in Shinnecock Hills in New York.
It happened yesterday at the U.S. Open Hawaii Sectional golf qualifier at the sixth hole on the Arnold Palmer Course at the Turtle Bay Resort. Hayashi was standing outside of a bunker where his ball had come to rest, surveying his next shot.
Behind him, caddy Elton Tanaka raked the bunker while his ball was still in it. Had United States Golf Association executive committee member Mary Bea Porter-King, who was responsible for Hawaii becoming the 13th site nationwide to host a U.S. Open qualifier, not seen Tanaka break USGA Rule 13-4b, no one would have ever known.
"I felt bad for having to tell him he was assessed a two-stroke penalty," Porter-King said. "You can't rake the trap while the ball is in it. Had it happened a year ago, it wouldn't have been a violation. They just added that part this year."
Hayashi, who lost by three shots to U.S. Open qualifier Parker McLachlin, knew it was a violation, but because Tanaka was behind him, he hadn't seen it.
"I was shocked," Hayashi said. "The good thing was, it happened early in the round and made me play more aggressively. I made a couple of birdies I might not have because of the penalty. So, it's hard to say what might have happened."
Midway through the afternoon round of the 36-hole event, it didn't appear to matter as McLachlin built a large lead. But a birdie by Hayashi and a triple bogey by McLachlin at No. 10 suddenly cut the advantage to two.
At the 18th, McLachlin still held a two-shot lead, forcing Hayashi to pull the driver and go for an eagle at the par-5 finishing hole. He wound up bogeying it as McLachlin parred to win by three.
"I could have played it safe and birdie it and lose by one, but I didn't want to do that," Hayashi said. "I feel bad for him (his caddy). Had I seen him, I would have stopped him. Later in the round, Parker was in the bunker and didn't make it out the first time. His caddy almost started to rake and we yelled for him to stop. I didn't want the same thing to happen to Parker."
