Player gets knocked out of U.S. Mid-Amateur when caddie mistakenly commits unusual rules violation

When a match in a USGA championship ends on the 20th hole, it frequently wraps up with some drama. In a way that was the case during a first-round showdown between Ryan O’Rear and Paul Mitzel at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship on Monday at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale. Just not the sort of drama either player necessarily was looking for.

Ultimately, O’Rear, a 34-year-old from Georgetown, Texas, pulled out the victory, but only after winning the 20th hole due to a rules infraction by Mitzel’s caddie. A longtime friend working for Mitzel, the caddie rode in a cart from the first green to the second tee (the 19th hole of the match to the 20th) after a volunteer asked if he wanted to hop on. Unfortunately, Model Local Rule G-6 is in effect at the championship, which states that “During a round, a player or caddie must not ride on any form of motorized transportation except as authorized or later approved by the committee.”

The trip from this green to tee was not authorized, the USGA confirmed, with a the walking rules official calling the penalty. It resulted in a loss of hole, which also meant, in this case, the loss of the match.

In an interview with GolfChannel.com, which first reported the incident on Monday night, Mitzel sounded very understanding. “I have to think anyone in that situation takes the ride when a shuttle driver asks if they want to hop on really quick and not think anything of it,” said the 35-year-old from Seattle, Wash., playing in his third straight U.S. Mid-Am. “… My caddie doesn’t deserve any fault. He’s the man and an awesome friend. I’d do the same thing in his shoes. We were having so much fun, it’s too bad.”

According to the GolfChannel.com story, O'Rear asked if he could veto the penalty, but was informed that couldn't happen.

Possibly leading to some confusion was the fact that there was an exception to the MLR allowing players to go from the 14th to the 15th hole, which could have created more confusion. Also, a shuttle had taken the players from the 18th green to the first hole a short while earlier.

According to Mitzel, he was walking up to the second tee from the first green after O’Rear had two-putted from 25 feet to tie the hole. Mitzel’s caddie was putting the flagstick into the hole when he was asked by the shuttle driver who had driven everybody to the first hole if the caddie wanted to ride to the second tee. (The shuttle driver was likely following the match so that he could bring in everybody when it was over.)

More disappointing for Mitzel was the fact that that match with O’Rear had been a memorable one. Five of the seven holes Mitzel won in regulation were with birdies, while all seven of O’Rear’s winning holes came with birdies. They had only tied five holes all day in an entertaining affair.

“I’ve played a lot of match play, and I’ve never experienced anything like that,” he told GolfChannel.com. “… Not sure I’ll ever experience anything like that again. Too bad it had to end that way.”