PGA Tour determines ‘serious misconduct’ in disqualifying pro from Cabo event

It wasn’t the homecoming that Emilio Gonzalez likely imagined.

The 27-year-old Gonzalez, who is from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, carded rounds of 73-71 to miss the cut by two shots Friday at the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico. But it got worse for Gonzalez, who was later disqualified for violating Rule 18.3, also known as the provisional ball rule.

According to a Golf Digest report, Gonzalez, who was playing alongside competitors Alejandro Tosti and Andrew Walker, hit his tee shot at El Cardonal’s par-4 15th hole into a desert area before hitting a provisional drive. After a brief search, a ball was found, but though it was within 3 minutes, Gonzales, per the PGA Tour, did not make a “reasonable effort” to identify the ball and continued playing his provisional ball, eventually carding bogey.

The rules stipulate: If the provisional ball has not become the ball in play and a ball is found that might be the original ball, the player must make all reasonable efforts to identify that ball. If the player fails to do so, the Committee may disqualify the player under Rule 1.2a if it decides that this was serious misconduct contrary to the spirit of the game.

Gonzalez, who played college golf at St. Mary’s before turning pro in 2020, spent this past season on the Korn Ferry Tour, logging 25 events. This was his second career PGA Tour start, following this year’s Houston Open, where he tied for 74th. He is qualified for final stage of PGA Tour Q-School in December.