Nease boys golf team misses state tournament after key player disqualified for viewing video
The Nease boy’s golf team potentially missed out on a state tournament berth on Monday after junior Ryan Nicholson was disqualified for looking at video taken by a teammate at the Golf Club of Cypress Head during the Region 1-3A tournament.
According to the Rules of Golf, 4.3 (4), watching video during a round is allowed only "on matters unrelated to the competition being played (such as a news report or background music)."
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Video is not allowed when it shows "play of the player or other players during the competition that helps the player in choosing a club, making a stroke, or deciding how to play during the round."
Nease coach Steve Horner appealed the decision to the FHSAA but was told Monday night that the appeal was denied.
Ed Thompson, director of golf for the FHSAA, said the tournament rules committee reported to him that Nicholson viewed video of his swing on “multiple occasions, of multiple shots.”
Horner said it was his understanding, from talking to his players, that Nicholson only saw the video on one occasion. Had the committee ruled that to be the case, Nicholson could have received a two-stroke penalty and allowed to continue playing.
“The disqualification was because the committee ruled it happened more than once,” Thompson said.
“That is disputable,” Horner said. “But we will accept the ruling.”
Nicholson was even-par through 11 holes when tournament officials pulled him off the course. As a result of his disqualification, the Panthers had to count a player who shot 83 and finished seventh as a team at 24-over 312.
That was eight shots behind Pace, which clinched the third and final qualifying spot for the Class 3A state tournament next week at the Mission Inn Resort near Orlando.
Had Nicholson finished his round even, Nease would have qualified with one shot to spare.
Under high school golf competitions, teams start five players and count the four lowest scores. Jackson Klauk led Nease with a 70 and qualified for the state tournament as an individual.
“There were a lot of ifs there,” Nease coach Steve Horner said. “Yes, Ryan was playing very well and you’re always better off being able to count four scores out of five than four out of four.
According to Horner, Nicholson’s teammate, who was not in the starting lineup, was taking video of the competition for use in a class project. At the par-5 eighth hole, he took video of a shot Nicholson hit with a hybrid from 233 yards out to within 3 feet of the cup. He tapped in for an eagle.
At some point after that, Nicholson’s teammate, who Horner declined to identify, showed Nicholson his video of the shot. Another coach saw the exchange and reported the incident to the tournament committee.
“It was a very innocent thing,” Horner said. “The young man was excited that he got Ryan’s shot on video and wanted to show him. I don’t believe there was any intent to do anything that would be construed as a competitive advantage. But we accept what happened we’ll support Jackson as he plays in the state tournament.”
Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GSmitter
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Key Nease golfer disqualified in Region 1-3A tournament for viewing video
