Home / Sports / Faldo's Players Championship Nightmare: DQ Drama
Faldo's Players Championship Nightmare: DQ Drama
2 Aug
Summary
- Sir Nick Faldo never won The Players Championship in 21 appearances.
- Faldo was disqualified in 1999 after an incorrect penalty drop.
- He blamed Corey Pavin's poor advice for the improper drop.
Sir Nick Faldo, a six-time major champion, never managed to win The Players Championship during his career. He participated in the tournament 21 times at TPC Sawgrass, a course seemingly well-suited to his game. Despite this, Faldo missed six cuts and achieved only two top-5 finishes.
His 1999 campaign at The Players Championship concluded with disqualification. While playing the seventh hole, an official informed him of an incorrect penalty drop taken on the previous hole. Faldo's ball had landed in a tree on the sixth hole, and he took a drop nearby. However, a spectator alerted officials that the drop was improper because Faldo could not confirm his ball's exact resting place.
Following his disqualification, Faldo spoke about the incident, suggesting he acted on incorrect advice from his playing partner, Corey Pavin. He stated Pavin advised him he could drop the ball there because they saw it go into the tree, recounting a similar situation Pavin had experienced. Ultimately, the responsibility lay with Faldo, as an experienced player should have known the rules regarding penalty drops when ball location is uncertain.
