News

Brutal penalty crushes European Tour hopeful’s Q-School dreams

Published

8 years ago

Nov 7, 2018

On Monday, while attempting to forge his way into the Q-School final stage, young European Tour hopeful Gian-Marco Petrozzi suffered a penalty which ultimately cost him the chance of competing in a playoff for an alternate spot.

The incident took place on the 18th hole at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club in Spain, where, while preparing for his approach shot which needed to be played over a bunker, the 21-year-old walked through the bunker and then raked his footprints in the sand before playing his second shot. Petrozzi was deemed to have improved his line of sight, breaching Rule 13-2, which carries a two stroke penalty.

Petrozzi had fired five birdies in his last six holes, in a round which also included a hole in one on his eighth hole of the day, and he walked off the 18th green believing he had shot a round of 65 which would have earned him a place in a playoff for an alternate spot. However, after being assessed the penalty, Petrozzi signed for a 67 which dashed all hopes of making the Q-School Final Stage.

Speaking about the incident on social media, the Englishman spoke about the “tough lesson” he had learned and explained how he was unaware that he was involved in any wrongdoing at the time.

pic.twitter.com/TOEj6zAU9r

— Gian-Marco Petrozzi (@GianPetrozzi55) November 5, 2018

Rule 13-2, which Petrozzi invoked, states that a player must not improve his line of play by:

pressing a club on the ground,
moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including immovable obstructions and objects defining out of bounds),
creating or eliminating irregularities of surface,
removing or pressing down sand, loose soil, replaced divots or other cut turf placed in position, or
removing dew, frost or water.

The Q-School Final Stage takes place from November 10-15 at Lumine GC in Spain.

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Gianni Magliocco

Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at gianni@golfwrx.com

17 Comments

John Hall

Nov 10, 2018 at 12:34 am

Speaking as an Englishman, I would like to remark on the way he took stoic ownership of his infraction, unlike another very recent female golfer.

Reply Report comment
Keith

Nov 9, 2018 at 2:52 pm

Well, if he raked a straight line from the green to his ball position, he did create a guide, and did violate the rules.

Reply Report comment
Paul

Nov 9, 2018 at 2:08 pm

These are the types of issues that make golf look completely ridiculous.

Reply Report comment
David Roberts

Nov 9, 2018 at 12:49 pm

Really in this day and age get rid of these antiquated rules and bring the game into the 21st century.

Reply Report comment
RAT

Nov 9, 2018 at 11:57 am

Wow! tough but I think unless it’s improving his footing or marking a line by using his footprints this should have be a no harm no foul

Reply Report comment
Bill

Nov 9, 2018 at 11:54 am

So then… what the rules are also saying is that anyone walking ahead of their ball to get a better look at their target is committing the same infraction if there is dew on the ground?? I’m sure that’s been done countless times even on tour.
I think what is missing in the rules is “intent.” If the rules included that, he would have to have intended to improve his line which is clearly not the case because he would have no reason to hit it in the bunker.

Reply Report comment
- John Hall
  
  Nov 10, 2018 at 12:24 am
  
  Bill, I’m usually a real stickler for the rules (If you don’t have rules, you don’t have a game) but I really like your idea of “intent”. I’m surprised no-one’s suggested it before, as far as I know.
  
  Reply Report comment
SaiDaiOh

Nov 9, 2018 at 2:23 am

Lesson learnt: Never rake a bunker yourself during a tournament

Reply Report comment
Tiger Noods

Nov 8, 2018 at 5:11 pm

Can someone verify that this would not be a 2019 penalty?

Reply Report comment
Geoffrey Holland

Nov 8, 2018 at 12:45 am

“Petrozzi was deemed to have improved his line of sight, breaching Rule 13-2, which carries a two stroke penalty.”

Line of play, not sight you nimrods.

Nice proofreading.

Reply Report comment
Jim

Nov 7, 2018 at 3:09 pm

Dang thats rough! I never would have known NOT to do that and ive only been playing this game for 25 years. What i interpret here is he was just putting the bunker around him back to its original state where he found his ball.
How can you improve your line/sight by raking a bunker?? I honestly dont understand that.

Though there are 3 sides to every story and we really arent being told if by doing so it actually improved his line/shot.

Reply Report comment
- ScoFF
  
  Nov 7, 2018 at 7:15 pm
  
  IF he had hitten a fat shot and throw the ball into the bunker, He would have had improved his line/shot.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jim
    
    Nov 7, 2018 at 11:34 pm
    
    Ohh Gotcha. That makes sense. Thank you!
    
    Reply Report comment
  - SaiDaiOh
    
    Nov 9, 2018 at 2:25 am
    
    In what way? He is not playing in that bunker yet. Returning to its original state should not be penalized at that stage.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - SaiDaiOh
      
      Nov 9, 2018 at 4:11 am
      
      This ruling is outright stupid. He should have filed a complaint against that ruling, for his tour card he worked so hard for and for every aspiring golfer.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Like
        
        Nov 9, 2018 at 12:07 pm
        
        He was playing for a playoff to the alternate spot to the final stage of Q school. Unlikely he got a spot in that tournament much less his tour card.
        
        Reply Report comment
  - RaytheRules
    
    Nov 11, 2018 at 4:14 pm
    
    It may be that he had a blind shot and went to view the pin position. He would then walk a straight line back to his ball through the bunker. If he then rakes the bunker to indicate the line for his approach – then he could incur a penalty. That is how I interpret the ruling.
    
    Reply Report comment

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2 days ago

May 12, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

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Photos from the 2026 PGA Championship

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

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