Cole Hammer Disqualified Over Hand Signals in Shocking Korn Ferry Drama

Cole Hammer’s run at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Memorial Health Championship ended in shocking fashion on Friday. The young American golfer was disqualified after admitting to giving advice to another player during the first round of the tournament in Springfield, Illinois. The drama unfolded after what seemed like an ordinary hand signal turned into a costly rules violation.

Hammer Felt Compelled To Talk To Rules Officials

The incident happened on the par-3 17th hole during the first round. Hammer had just played his shot using a 4-iron. As he walked off, Nelson Ledesma’s caddie asked which club he had used. Hammer didn’t think much of it at the time. He casually flashed four fingers to show it was a 4-iron. But that simple hand gesture broke one of golf’s strict rules. Players are not allowed to give or ask for advice during a round. That includes sharing information about club selection.

“Out of instinct, I flashed ‘4’ as well,” Hammer explained on Friday afternoon. “It was a heat-of-the-moment thing, and I didn’t think a whole lot about it until after the round.”

Hammer didn’t report the incident right away. But later that evening, his conscience began to bother him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had broken the rules, even though many players consider such exchanges common on the course. The next morning, Hammer did what he believed was the right thing: he reported the incident to tournament officials before starting his second round.

“I feel like I know the rules really well, and I’ve always tried to uphold them to the best of my ability,” the 25-year-old added. “It just didn’t sit right with me last night, and when I woke up this morning, I felt compelled to go talk to the rules official and tell him what had happened.”

After reviewing the situation, officials ruled that Hammer and Ledesma had both violated Rule 10.2a of the game, which covers giving and receiving advice. The punishment is usually the general penalty of two strokes, but because both players had already signed their first-round scorecards, the penalties could not be applied retroactively. The only option under the rules was disqualification.

What Does Rule 10.2a Say?

The Rule 10.2a says:

“During a round, you must not:

1. Give advice to anyone in the competition who is playing on the course;

2. Ask anyone for advice, other than your caddie;

3. Touch another player’s equipment to learn information that would be advice if given by or asked of the other player.”