The battle for a place in the top 30 of the Korn Ferry Tour points list is not for the fainthearted given the high stakes reward of a PGA Tour card.
However, Tour pro Shad Tuten's challenge ended in particularly bizarre and cruel fashion when he was given a two-shot penalty in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship for an innocuous-looking rules violation after thinking he had done enough to earn the prize.
While that would undoubtedly have been a devastating blow for Tuten, he has now posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) addressing the issue and vowing to come back stronger.
He said: “Golf has been my life ever since I started playing professionally in 2016 and there’s nothing I’d rather be doing. I intend on competing for a long time because I love the game. I also want to say that everything I did during the Korn Ferry Tour Championship was the right thing to do in my eyes.”
Last week at the @tourchampulf was an absolute nightmare of a finish for me. I can’t put it into words how I feel, but I will heal and be a better person from it. Thank you for the messages and support through this horrible time for my family. October 10, 2023
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Tuten was penalised after lifting his ball to clean and replace it, in line with a local rule, but the ball moved. He then set the ball down again, only not on the exact same spot, but slightly to the right, which eventually incurred the penalty. Tuten went on to birdie the hole, but that became a bogey following the penalty, which was enough to see him finish outside the top 30.
Despite the minor indiscretion that cost so much, Tuten admitted he was happy with the way he had played. He continued: “I played some incredible golf and I’m extremely happy with the way I performed under the most intense pressure of my professional career. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. It is what it is. We’re going to grow from it and be a better player in the end.”
Thankfully, Tuten doesn’t need to wait too long for another chance to secure his place on the PGA Tour. He explained: “Looking forward to my next step which is Q School in December and trying to earn a PGA Tour card that way.”
Not surprisingly, the incident led to plenty of sympathy coming Tuten’s way, with questions over whether the rules of golf are too rigid and even turning would-be players away. Tuten finished by thanking fans for the calls and messages he had received after his heartbreak.
One response to the video came from veteran caddie Kip Henley, who wrote: “Wonderful person and a complete player. Will 100% have status very soon! One of the great benefits of me working the KFT this year was me getting to hang out with a bunch of dudes just like Shad! So many great stories coming to y’all soon!”
Wonderful person and a complete player. Will 100% have status very soon ! One of the great benefits of me working the KFT this year was me getting to hang out with a bunch of dudes just like Shad ! So many great stories coming to y’all soon !October 11, 2023
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At the tournament in Newburgh, Indiana, Tuten completed a two-over second round 74 to finish T19 – enough to finish in the top-30 of the Korn Ferry Tour points list before the penalty saw him drop to T28 and two places beneath the cut-off needed to secure the potentially life-changing PGA Tour card.
