Davis Riley called a penalty on himself Saturday during the weather-delayed second round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, showing integrity that nearly cost him the weekend.
Riley self-reported using the slope feature on his distance-measuring device at the par-3 17th, his eighth hole of the round. While distance-measuring devices are now allowed on the PGA Tour (an experimental rule change since the Masters), the slope feature remains illegal.
The two-stroke penalty dropped Riley from safely inside the cut line at 5 under to one shot back. He immediately bounced back with a birdie at his next hole to get back to the projected cut number, but a bogey at No. 3 pushed him outside again.
It was a roller-coaster from there. Riley made birdie at No. 4, only to give it back with a bogey at No. 6. Still needing something special to make the weekend, he delivered in dramatic fashion with an eagle at the par-5 ninth, his final hole.
The clutch finish earned Riley two more rounds, crucial for the 89th-ranked player in the FedExCup standings who’s fighting to improve his position as the season progresses.
