DQ may have cost Howell trip to East Lake

ATLANTA – We hate to go revisionist with this, but considering what was at stake it’s difficult to ignore when you consider Charles Howell III’s playoff plight.

Howell tied for 39th last week at the BMW Championship and missed advancing to the Tour Championship by 70 points, the difference, possibly, of a broken weight port cover three weeks ago at the Wyndham Championship.

Howell, who broke the club on the range before his round, was disqualified from the Wyndham when officials discovered the broken cover made the driver non-conforming, although company officials said the broken cover had no impact on the club’s performance.

Howell was inside the top 10 when he was disqualified after the second round. Had he finished the event inside the top 10 he would have earned 80 points, the difference between making it to East Lake and an invitation to next year’s Masters.