With only three holes left in the second round of the RBC Canadian Open, Justin Rose called a two-stroke penalty on himself. In an ironic twist, the 2013 US Open champion missed the cut by exactly two strokes.
In other words, his decision cost him at least $20,090, which is the lowest amount anyone will earn if they make the cut. Rose could very easily improved upon that over the weekend, also.
But the incident not only demonstrated the player’s sportsmanship, but also revealed that even a veteran like Rose can have gaps in his knowledge of golf rules. Had he been better prepared from a regulatory standpoint, he could have gained one more stroke, though it still would not have been enough to make the cut.
The incident occurred on the seventh hole, 16th of the second round for Rose. The Englishman shanked his tee shot, which took an unexpected path to the right. The ball came to rest 57 yards from the hole, with Rose finding it in the middle of the thick rough.
Rose then tried to clear a loose impediment, causing the ball to move. That was mistake No. 1. He decided to execute his second stroke and declare the rule violation that had occurred, which was mistake No. 2.
However, he did not take into account Rule 9.4, which states that the moved ball must be repositioned to its original position and the offender receives only a one-stroke penalty.
By playing the ball without repositioning it, Rose incurred the infraction established in Rule 14.7a: playing the ball from an incorrect position. This infraction carries a two-stroke penalty.
Granted, Rose’s confusion was irrelevant because he would have missed the cut regardless of whether he received one or two penalty strokes. But had he not caused his ball to move by attempting to move the loose impediment, he very likely makes the weekend and a paycheck.
The Englishman had reached the seventh hole with a score of 3-under, but ended up at 1-under after the penalty.
Rose parred the last two holes, but it was not enough, as the cut line was drawn at 3-under.
The 11-time PGA Tour winner has had a very up-and-down 2025 season. He has played in 11 tournaments, missed four cuts, withdrew from one event, and finished in the top 10 three times, including his career third runner-up finish at the Masters Tournament.
After his excellent result at Augusta National Golf Club, Rose has struggled to find his best golf. Since then, he has played in four tournaments, missing one cut and withdrawing from another. His best result was a tie for 42nd place at the RBC Heritage.
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