Golfer drops out of U.S. Open qualifying after airline loses his clubs

Michael Buttacavoli suffered every golfer’s nightmare on Monday: a tee time but no clubs. What’s worse, far worse, is that Buttacavoli was trying to qualify for the U.S. Open, and now has to surrender a chance at playing in America’s most open major because of—wait for it—an airline’s mistake.

Yep, the Year of Airline Nightmares continues. Buttacavoli was flying to play at the Jupiter Hills Golf Club in Tequesta, Fla. He arrived; his clubs did not.

Thank u @AmericanAir. 1 golf bag w/ priority tags on plane & the only bag u can't find. Unfortunately have to WD from @usopengolf sectionals

— Michael Buttacavoli (@mbutta326) June 5, 2017

American Air tried to solve the problem, but too little, too late:

Already filed a missing bag report. It's too late. I already withdrew. You just needed to do your job in the first place.

— Michael Buttacavoli (@mbutta326) June 5, 2017

Then followed a strange couple of tweets, when American indicated it had not planned this for Buttacavoli (does it plan to lose bags for anyone?) and an understandably agitated Buttacavoli decried the airline’s “PC” approach:

Priority tags r meaningless. Told u 100 times. Stop apologizing. Don't need sympathy or u to be PC. Just do better. U have yet to show that

— Michael Buttacavoli (@mbutta326) June 5, 2017

Of course, fellow golfer Zac Blair offered up a very good question: why not snag some rental sticks?

I've done it a couple a times in my amateur days. @Jones_Cup and @PacificCoastAm played ok too. You never know sometimes you find a good set

— Zac Blair (@z_blair) June 5, 2017

Regardless, it’s an infuriating situation, and Buttacavoli will get all the sympathy in the world for being on the wrong end of an airline mistake.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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