The 2016 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open field will have 144 players instead of the originally intended 132, thanks to what the PGA Tour describes as a "clerical error."
This year, the field was set to be reduced by 12 players because it moved from its typical October slot into November for the first time. With less daylight to play golf, the Tour intended to cut the field accordingly for flow. Unfortunately, the PGA Tour never entered in its systems that the field had been reduced. So, when it came time on Friday to make the field for the event, an extra 12 players were told they were in. No take-backs now.
"They realized the mistake, but at that point there was nothing they can do," said tournament director Patrick Lindsey to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
That means 12 guys are getting a start they would not have otherwise received in this 2016 portion of the wrap-around 2016-17 season. Based on the Tour's priority ranking, those guys are: Mackenzie Hughes, Ryan Blaum, J.T. Poston, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Dominic Bozzelli, Rod Pampling, Seamus Power, C.T. Pan, Trey Mullinax, Kevin Tway, Will MacKenzie and Julian Etulain.
This also means that the first and second rounds will almost surely bleed into Friday and Saturday morning, respectively.
The tournament has been assured they will not face this issue next year.
"We're the fifth event next year, and we are playing in November again," Lindsey said. "But we will have 132 in the field for 2017."
