Anyone who has either played or watched golf will know that there are so many different rules.
While the concept of the sport is so simple, it can often be unreasonably complicated and lead to significant confusion.
Even the best players in the world forget the rules sometimes, which can prove to be very costly.
Dustin Johnson once missed out on the PGA Championship because he was harshly awarded a two-stroke penalty.
Golf Retro looks back on the time another PGA Tour player was disqualified in remarkable circumstances.
- READ MORE: The story of why the longest play-off in PGA Tour history still could not determine a winner
Craig Stadler unknowingly made a mistake at the 1987 San Diego Open
Craig Stadler broke a rule that most amateur golfers will not have even heard of at the 1987 San Diego Open.
On the 14th hole in the third round of the tournament, Stadler’s tee shot came to rest under a tree.
The branches prevented him from being able to hit the ball standing up, so he decided to get on his knees.
And because the ground was wet, he placed a towel on the ground to kneel on during his shot.
He thought nothing of the incident, and neither did his playing partners, so he handed in his scorecard as normal.
Stadler then played the final round at Torrey Pines the next day and finished in a tie for second place.
However, he was later disqualified for his third-round shot from under the tree in an awkward turn of events.
Craig Stadler was disqualified from the 1987 San Diego Open
Robert Riegel, a television viewer, noticed Stadler place a towel under his knees while watching a replay of the third round.
He knew that this broke USGA rule 13.3 for ‘building a stance,’ so he phoned the PGA Tour to let them know.
Riegel was not trying to get Stadler into trouble; instead, he wanted him to know that he had made the mistake so that he could adjust his scorecard.
Unfortunately, because Riegel was watching a replay a day later, Stadler had already carded his score, so it was too late.
Stadler finished in a tie for second place at the San Diego Open and was set to receive $37,000, but the PGA Tour had no choice but to disqualify him.