University of Illinois golfer Tommy Kuhl shot a course-record 62 at a U.S. Open qualifier on Monday ― but when he realized he’d inadvertently broken a rule, he stepped up and told on himself, nullifying his own performance, Monday Q reported.
Kuhl had scorched 18 holes at the Illini Country Club in Springfield, putting him a step away from competing in one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments next month.
But afterward, he heard a teammate complaining about the aerated putting greens, where holes are punched into the grass to help create a stronger root system. And Kuhl realized he’d broken a rule by fixing the aeration marks around his ball during the round.
The rules allow for the repair of ball marks, shoe damage and club indentations, but not for “aeration holes, natural surface imperfections or natural wear of the hole.”
Kuhl experienced a fairway-sized pang of conscience.
“I felt sick to my stomach,” he told Monday Q. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I didn’t tell the rules official.”
And so, he squealed on himself. He got disqualified. His spectacular effort would now just be a story to tell over drinks at the 19th hole.
“I just wouldn’t have felt good about myself had I not said anything,” Kuhl told GolfChannel.com. “It’s one U.S. Open qualifier; I’ll have plenty more in the future.”
Kuhl, a fifth-year senior, is a two-time winner of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
The U.S. Open is June 15-18 at the Los Angeles Country Club.
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