Three minutes, one found ball: why MJ Maguire was disqualified

MJ Maguire signed for a 1-under 71 in the first round of the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Thursday. It left him inside the top 20, four behind the early leader Kevin Yuan. He never got to play the second round. Maguire, a winner on the Asian Tour at the 2024 Black Mountain Championship, was disqualified over the three-minute search limit, and the Asian Tour has now explained why.

What happened on the ninth

According to the Asian Tour’s statement, reported by Golf Monthly, Maguire’s tee shot at the par-4 ninth at Taiwan Golf & Country Club finished in the rough on the right. He, his caddie, a playing partner and a ball spotter all searched for it. When it didn’t turn up, Maguire started back towards the tee to play another ball under stroke and distance.

On his way back, a spectator found a ball believed to be his. The spotter told him, and Maguire, who believed the three minutes had not yet run out, went back and played it.

The committee took evidence from the group and other witnesses and concluded that more than three minutes had passed between the start of the search and the moment the ball was found. The tour said its decision did not rest on any finding that Maguire meant to break the rules.

The disqualification leaves Maguire 72nd in the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit, according to Golf Monthly, with a best finish this season of tied 15th at the IGPL Bharath Classic. The event was won by Hung Chien-yao, who ended a 21-year wait for an Asian Tour title (read the winner report).

Lost ball, wrong ball, no correction

• Rule 18.2a: a ball is lost if it isn’t found within three minutes of the player or caddie starting to search for it. Once that time is up, the ball is out of play, even if someone finds it seconds later.
• Rule 6.3c: hitting a ball that is not your ball in play means you’ve played a wrong ball. In stroke play that is the general penalty of two strokes.
• Correcting it: you must fix the mistake by going back and playing the right way (here, stroke and distance from the tee) before you tee off on the next hole. Maguire did not do that before starting the 10th, and under Rule 6.3c(1) that means disqualification.

Timing the search in your Saturday game

The three-minute clock starts when you or your caddie begin searching, not when you reach the area where you think the ball went, and it doesn’t pause while other people join in. If there’s any doubt a ball can be found, hit a provisional before you walk forward, and time the search on a phone or watch.

In general play at your club, the committee may also have adopted Model Local Rule E-5, which lets you drop in a large area between where the ball was lost and the edge of the fairway for two penalty strokes, instead of going back to the tee. The USGA says it is not appropriate for professional or elite amateur competitions, so it was never an option in Taiwan.

Sources

• Golf Monthly: Tour winner disqualified after lost golf ball incident (includes Asian Tour statement)
• Yardbarker: Tour pro disqualified after a spectator’s help caused a rule violation
• Asian Tour: Thrilled Hung claims first Asian Tour title after 21-year wait
• The R&A: Rule 18 – Stroke-and-distance relief, ball lost or out of bounds
• The R&A: Rule 6 – Playing a hole (6.3c wrong ball)
• USGA: Stroke and distance – the E-5 Local Rule