When Cameron Tringale Disqualified Himself From the PGA Championship With a Blunder
230426 -- SINGAPORE, April 26, 2023 -- Team HyFlyers Cameron Tringale of the United States attends the press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz prior to the LIV Golf Singapore at the Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore, on April 26, 2023. Photo by /Xinhua SPSINGAPORE-GOLF-PRESS CONFERENCE ThenxChihxWey PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
230426 -- SINGAPORE, April 26, 2023 -- Team HyFlyers Cameron Tringale of the United States attends the press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz prior to the LIV Golf Singapore at the Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore, on April 26, 2023. Photo by /Xinhua SPSINGAPORE-GOLF-PRESS CONFERENCE ThenxChihxWey PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
Professional golfer Cameron Tringale was enjoying lunch at TPC Harding Park when a glance at his phone changed everything. A simple leaderboard check revealed a devastating personal oversight.
Tringale realized that he had signed his scorecard for a par, even though he had made a bogey on the par-3 eighth hole. He missed the green on that hole and failed to hole a 14-foot putt.
"I went back to the scoring area and told them what I noticed," Tringale explained, as per Golf Digest, after discovering the error. This honesty led to his immediate disqualification.
May 9, 2026: Cameron Tringale tees off on the first hole during the third round of the LIV Golf Virginia on the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. /CSM Sterling United States of America - ZUMAc04_ 20260509_zma_c04_067 Copyright: xJustinxCooperx
May 9, 2026: Cameron Tringale tees off on the first hole during the third round of the LIV Golf Virginia on the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. /CSM Sterling United States of America - ZUMAc04_ 20260509_zma_c04_067 Copyright: xJustinxCooperx
He had originally signed for a 68, but his actual score was a 69. That discrepancy led to his disqualification from the 2020 PGA Championship under Rule 3.3b(3).
Tringale had been hovering right on the cut line at 1-over par when he caught the mistake. The afternoon wave of players was still out on the course.
The disqualification followed Tringale's T3 finish at the 3M Open.
Recurring Pattern of Integrity at the PGA Championship
This blunder marked the second time Tringale was disqualified from this major because of a scorecard error. The 2020 incident mirrored a previous error in Tringale’s career.
In 2014, Tringale was disqualified from the PGA Championship at Valhalla after reporting himself nearly a week after the tournament ended. He believed he had missed a tap-in.
During the final round, he swung his putter over the ball on the par-3 11th hole but felt he had missed it. That swipe should have counted as a stroke.
He originally signed for a bogey, but reconsidering the whiff led him to contact the PGA of America. This act of honesty triggered Rule 34.1b (III).
The retroactive disqualification cost him a T33 finish in the championship and nearly $53,000 in prize money because of his self-reported error.
His appearance in the 2020 event marked his first start in a major since the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol.
Tringale’s self-reporting reflects the sport's strict honor code. He chose his reputation over a place on the weekend leaderboard.
Written by
Abhishek Sharma
Edited by
Pulkit Prabhav