“He was looking so forward to his first tournament in America – and on this course."

Jim McCabe with the unfortunate ending to Joost Luiten’s American debut after he was disqualified after the first round of the Memorial Tournament for signing an incorrect card.

Luiten’s problems began when he drove it wide left. His ball came to rest on the other side of a hazard, but the key point is: His ball was on the red line, which means it was in the hazard. As Luiten settled into his stance, the ball moved. He notified playing competitor Bobby Gates and a rules official and it was determined that because Luiten had not grounded his club, there was no penalty.

However, later the rules official, apparently working with more information, told the Dutchman that because the ball was in the hazard, there were two infractions: One for the ball moving (18-2b) and one for hitting from an incorrect position (20-7b).

But even though it sounds like he may have gotten some bad information, Luiten handled it well.

Adding a nice touch to a tough story, Luiten after hitting balls and learning he had been disqualified sought out tournament host Jack Nicklaus. Luiten thanked the icon for the invitation and chance to play – even if it was just for one round.