Cejka DQ'd For Using Old Green Reading Materials On New Greens

The new rules reducing the scale of green reading book specs has done little to diminish their use except to increase eye strain and add to the growing sense of regulatory ineptitude.

Which made Alex Cejka’s DQ from the Honda for using 2018’s book slightly ridiculous at first blush. From Dan Kilbridge’s Golfweek story on the explanation for what was an easy call for PGA Tour referees.

Cejka finished the 14th hole and was on his way to the 15th when he was approached by rules official Robby Ware.

“It was brought to the committee’s attention that Alex might possibly be using some old greens reading materials, and so we were obligated to check that out,” Ware said. “Alex was basically using an old yardage book and old greens reading materials that did not fit the size to scale limit.”

Here’s where this episode moves to another comedic level: besides being an illegal book, the greens have been resurfaced at PGA National, likely making last year’s edition less accurate.

Golf World’s Brian Wacker also has more on how officials learned of the first green reading book violation: Cejka’s playing partner Cameron Tringale saw that Cejka was using the larger 2018-sized materials to read greens.

“I was perplexed,” Tringale said of noticing the book. “That doesn't look right. Did I really see that?

“When we finished the 14th hole, I went to use the bathroom and when I came out I saw [Cejka] riding off in a cart.”