Mark Hubbard DQed from Houston Open after oddly and ‘knowingly adding club’ mid-round

It’s not that rare to see a golfer disqualified from a PGA Tour event. But Mark Hubbard DQ’d for a violation that was as rare as it was odd.

The 33-year-old was booted from the Houston Open on Friday after adding a 15th club to his bag midway through his second round.

“Mark Hubbard is a DQ after the second round of the Cadence Bank Houston Open due to a violation of Rule 4.1c,” the PGA Tour announced on Twitter. “Hubbard knowingly added a 15th club at the turn and used the club several times without declaring it out of play.”

The rule states, “When a player becomes aware during a round that he or she is in breach of Rule 4.1b(1), (2) or (3) for having more than 14 clubs or for making a stroke with another player’s club, the player must immediately take an action that clearly indicates each club that is being taken out of play.”

According to Golf Digest, Hubbard was having “spin issues” with his driver, and he believed that adding a club would only incur a two-shot penalty.

Hubbard, who shot a 75 on Thursday and a 74 on Friday, would have missed the cut in the tournament anyway had he not been disqualified.

The 33-year-old Hubbard finished 100th in the 2021-22 FedEx Cup Standings, and through last week was ranked 40th in this season’s standings.

With a number of golfers still yet to finish their second round, Tony Finau is currently leading in Houston at 13 under.