Scott Piercy decided to finish out the 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in the dark on Sunday night, rather than waiting to come back on Monday morning to play the par-5 18th at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
That decision could quite literally change the careers of Max Homa and Michael Thompson.
Piercy, who was playing with Lucas Glover and their respective pro-am partners, finished up with a three-putt bogey in darn-near pitch-black conditions. That bogey dropped Piercy from a T-7 position at 11-under total down to T-10 at 10-under total. Piercy's drop meant Max Homa, Michael Thompson and Chris Stroud jumped up to T-10.
Under PGA Tour rules, a player who finishes in the top 10 of an official tournament (outside the World Golf Championships) gains automatic entry into the next open tournament awarding official victory status. If a player isn't able to get in the very next open event because that field is full, those players then get into the next available open tournament.
Homa and Thompson are now in this week's Genesis Open, which is played at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles. It's a huge opportunity for both players, who landed a start they wouldn't otherwise get because Scott Piercy and Lucas Glover chose to wrap up on Sunday.