Brookville’s Smith DQ’d at Palmer Invitational

ORLANDO, Fla. — Brookville’s Nathan Smith’s second-round outing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge ended prematurely.

According to the PGA Tour, Smith violated Rule 15-3 on the par-4 fifth hole. He pushed his drive to the right and apparently on the wrong side of the white stakes indicating the out-of-bounds line. Although Smith proceeded with the approval of his playing partners Jim Renner and Billy Hurley III and a PGA official, he eventually was notified 10 holes later by another official prior to playing his second shot on the par-3 14th hole that indeed he played an illegal shot and was disqualified.

Up to the point of being notified he was disqualified, Smith was 5-over-par for the round and 6-over for the tournament. Friday’s cut line was 1-over par. He shot a 1-over 73 Thursday.

“I had a blast and was honored to be there,” said Smith, who was invited by Palmer himself to play in the tournament last year. Three amateurs were invited with only Zach Olsen making the cut to the weekend rounds. Olsen, who was at even-par 216 and tied for 52nd place going into Sunday’s round, is a freshman at Oklahoma State University. He gained entry to the event by winning last year’s Southern Amateur.

Smith will once again play an amateur schedule this spring and summer, which includes trips to the U.S. Amateur (Aug. 11-17, Atlanta Athletic Club) and Mid-Amateur (Sept. 6-11, Saucon Valley, Bethlehm, Pa.), both of which he is exempt from the local and regional qualifying stages.