South Moor junior’s rules error costs him place in history by inches, but not the championship
South Moor’s Josh Hogarth missed out on setting a course record at the Co Durham club in bizarre circumstances.
As the season closed for the 15-year-old, who has won the South Moor junior title and the Durham County Junior Golf Society Championship, a rules error at South Moor’s par three 14th cost him a place in the record books.
His perfect six iron approach at the 186-yard hole finished resting against the flagstick – however, what happened next cost him a record round of 64.
“If I had known the rules, it would have been a hole-in-one,” said Josh, a pupil at North Durham Academy in Stanley.
“I thought you had to pull the flagstick out keeping it directly upright. When I did that, the ball squirted out and ended up an inch from the hole.”
Josh only learned days after the tournament ended that the relevant part of The Rules of Golf (rule 17-4 reads): “The player may move or remove the flagstick”.
That allowed him the option of manoeuvring the flagstick to determine whether the ball falls into the hole.
“I signed for a two on the scorecard instead of one,” said Josh. “I’ll put it down to experience. It’s a lesson learned.”
The record was set by Norway’s Jarland Ekeland Arnoy during the England Boys Under-16 Open at South Moor in 2011 and has since been equalled by home club players Ian McEntee and Paul Davison, and Josh with his round which included 10 birdies and three bogeys.
