19th Hole

Tour caddie shoots 202 in U.S. Am qualifier and gets DQ’d after the event

Published

5 years ago

Jul 17, 2019

There may be a 2.4 handicap index limit to enter a U.S. Am qualifier, but that didn’t prevent one player from running up an astronomical score of 202 at the event at Mayacoo Lakes C.C. on Monday – before it was revealed the player had been disqualified for “failing to play in the spirit of the game.”

Korn Ferry Tour player Justin Hueber tweeted out the card of the player in question and showed a scorecard of a player who shot a 194 total – equating to 123-over par.

@jhueb

Despite Hueber’s attempts to blur out the name of the player in question, it was found to be Trey Bilardello, better known for being a professional caddie most recently for Matt Every, and it turns out that the 194 total was, in fact, a 202.

Speaking to GolfDigest, Darin Green, director of rules & competitions for the Florida State Golf Association, revealed how a glitch in the online scoring system prevents numbers greater than 19 posted on any hole being submitted, but failed to elaborate on just how a player with a 2.2 handicap, according to the latest GHIN revision, could shoot such a total, stating “The 202 was the score given to us and signed.”

On Tuesday afternoon Bilardello’s story became even more intriguing when the FSGA decided to reverse its original decision and disqualify Bilardello after the event had ended.

“Serious misconduct and failing to play in the spirit of the game” was the reason for the disqualification according to Beth Major, USGA senior director of championship communications, who was speaking to Golf Digest.

Per the report, Bilardello began deliberately missing shots, especially around the green, and as he was within the first group at the event, his pace held up the rest of the field. Speaking on the incident, Major stated

“His disqualification was deemed appropriate as a result of the individual’s failure to show consideration for other players—deliberately playing away from the hole to run up his score.”

Speaking to Golf Channel, Bilardello’s playing competitor, Kristian Fortis, disclosed how the Tour caddie started off normal but quickly went downhill.

“After the first nine, he said that he wanted to shoot the highest recorded score in USGA history. He just did not care. He was really rude to a lot of the officials, too. Something was off.

“He would chip shots and scoot his ball around on the tee box just to add strokes, and then he would just pipe a 2-iron down the middle of the fairway, hit it on the green and then just scoot his ball around again with his putter. He’d be right next to the hole and then I guess he’d think to himself that he didn’t have enough strokes and he’d hit his ball in the opposite direction of the hole.”

Bilardello’s past involves an arrest in 2014 in Royal Palm Beach, Fla, on a charge of first-degree domestic battery by strangulation, and he has been accused of “cheating the ballot to win” by an online commentator in a “Caddie for a Day” contest for Ken Duke. Per GolfDigest’s report, Bilardello was suspended from the Minor League Golf Tour for damaging golf course property during one of the events.

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19th Hole

Man charged with stealing millions of dollars worth of memorabilia from Augusta National

Published

17 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, a man has been charged in Chicago with stealing millions of dollars’ worth of memorabilia from Augusta National.

The man, Robert Globensky, was charged with transporting the memorabilia across state lines.

The report states that between 2009 and 2022, Globensky allegedly transported “millions of dollars’ worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and historical memorabilia” from Augusta National “and transported to Tampa, Florida, knowing the same had been stolen, converted and taken by fraud.”

The document was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Per the court records there is no mention that Globensky worked for the golf club.

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Talor Gooch: 54 holes is more exciting for the fans

Published

17 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

Over the past few weeks, two of LIV Golf’s biggest stars, Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson, have both expressed that they believe LIV could go to 72 holes.

While speaking to BBC Sport, Rahm said he “wouldn’t mind” going to 72 holes.

“If there ever was a way where LIV could go to 72 holes I think it would help all of this argument a lot.”

“The closer I think we can get LIV Golf to some other things the better. I think it would be for some kind of unification to feed into a world tour or something like that.

“I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I definitely wouldn’t mind going back to 72 holes.”

Phil Mickelson, while speaking after his final round at The Masters, also said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if LIV went to 72 holes.

“I don’t think it makes a difference either way. We’ve got mini-tours playing 54, Champions Tour playing 54. I wouldn’t be surprised if some or all of LIV events went to 72. I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I enjoy the competition.”

Another one of LIV’s top players, Talor Gooch, expressed on Wednesday that he feels quite differently.

“It’s just funny to me, this arbitrary number of 72.”

“Why is it not 90? “Why is it not 108? We just decided to make that number the number, for what reason?”

“Everyone’s talked about world ranking points and all this stuff, but no one’s talked about what do the fans enjoy more?”

“People want something that’s going to be more exciting. And I personally think that the 54 holes is more exciting for the fans.”

After Gooch’s comments, I decided to get some fan feedback for myself, making a poll on X. With about 4,500 votes in at the time of writing this, roughly 84% of voters in the poll indicated they’d prefer 72 holes to just 16% saying they’d prefer 54.

Rahm prefers 72 holes
Gooch prefers 54 holes

Where do the fans stand?

— Matt Vincenzi (@MattVincenziPGA) April 17, 2024

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19th Hole

Brandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why

Published

2 days ago

Apr 17, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Earlier this week, rumors began to fly that Rory McIlroy could be making a shock switch to LIV Golf which caused quite the stir on social media.

However, on Tuesday, McIlroy emphatically shut down those rumors, telling Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town:

“I honestly don’t know how these things get started. I’ve never been offered a number from LIV and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV. Again I think I’ve made it clear over the past two years that I don’t think it’s something for me.

It’s unfortunate that we have to deal with it and this is the state that our game’s in. I’m obviously here today and I’m playing this PGA Tour event next week and I will play the PGA Tour for the rest of my career.”

Golf Channel analyst and longtime LIV critic, Brandel Chamblee, took to social media before McIlroy’s statement to point the finger at “Saudis/LIV,” who he believes started the rumor:

I have no doubt that this rumor was started by Saudis/LIV… to benefit Saudis/LIV after such a poor showing, as a group, at The Masters.

I’d be very surprised if this turns out to be true. https://t.co/SWNgjHtWSM

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) April 16, 2024

When one user pushed back on Chamblee’s claim that LIV golfers had a poor showing at the Masters, Brandel went further into why he believes the opening major of the year was a failure for the breakaway tour.

You think they paid 3 billion for a few top tens and to be +82 as a group at major? A senior citizen beat some of their “stars” and almost all the game’s of LIV players have deteriorated since they sold their souls to the Saudis who only bought a moment in time… nothing else. https://t.co/xERkYsztIJ

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) April 16, 2024