Twenty-nine-year-old pro Mark Anguiano finally earned his way on to the Korn Ferry Tour yesterday, thanks to his T29 finish at the weather-delayed Final Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament at the Landings Club in Savannah, Ga.
It was a momentous step in the right direction for the journeyman pro’s career, earning him guaranteed starts in the first eight events of the new KFT season. But if not for a wild ruling and, more important, the eagle eye of his caddie, Anguiano’s future might look much less bright.
Korn Ferry Tour releases 26-event 2022 season schedule
Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) broke the story on Twitter, shining a spotlight on the bizarre set of circumstances Anguiano faced in the third round with his career on the line.
According to Monday Q Info, during Sunday’s third round at the Landings Club’s Magnolia Course, Anguiano hit a tee shot wide right that appeared to be out of bounds. After walking up to the ball, a rules official ran a string between two OB stakes, finding the pro’s ball to be just out by a couple of inches.
At least, the rules official thought they were OB stakes. After heading back to the tee to hit another drive, what would have been his third stroke of the hole, Anguiano’s caddie realized that one of the stakes didn’t look like the others. After further inspection by the rules official, it was determined that the caddie was right: the stake in question was actually from a homeowner’s yard, and Anguiano’s original tee shot was in bounds.
Because the rules official was responsible for the mistake, Anguiano was permitted to drop at the original location and finish the hole without penalty. He made par, and the two strokes he likely saved proved to be decisive.
Anguiano’s two-under total earned him eight starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. Had he finished two strokes worse at even par, his guaranteed starts for the 2022 KFT season would have plummeted to zero.
Late Monday night, Anguinao shared Monday Q Info’s tweet, while appropriately giving credit where credit was due: