Kevin Streelman Credits Pre-Round Approval of Ball Marker for Hot First Round at Valspar Championship

Kevin Streelman had to have his ball marker approved by the United States Golf Association (USGA) before his first round at the Valspar Championship on Thursday, and he has credited it for helping him have a hot first round.

Streelman sits just one shot out of the lead at six under par, as his second round is now underway. Prior to the round, he had to seek approval for a ball marker that he was using.

The marker is a round shape, just as traditional ones, with a bold line on top to help line up putts. It also has a small spike on the underside, making it easier to rotate than a traditional ball marker that just sits on top of the grass.

Kevin Streelman’s 7-under 64 in the first round of the Valspar Championship marks his lowest 18-hole score at this event (42 rounds). His previous best was 65 in the third round in 2013 when he went on to win the Valspar Championship.

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) March 21, 2024

Streelman commented on the ball marker’s effectiveness during his first round (via Golf Channel):

“It’s kind of cool little new ball marker I’m using that is legal that can kind of give you some visual cues that I think is pretty helpful. I was using that today, which I think kind of helped, as well.”

Unfortunately, there are no current images of the ball marker Streelman is using. However, he did have to seek clarification from a rules official before starting his round. If players are caught with game assistance tools, training aids, or other non-conforming pieces of equipment, they can be disqualified from the tournament.

This happened to Hideki Matsuyama several years ago, as he was using a training aid on the range. However, he put the club in his bag and went to the first tee, and a rules official pointed out that he had a foreign substance on the face of his club:

Hideki Matsuyama gets DQ’d for a marking on the face of his fairway wood.

The 📸 🐐 @gdm43pga managed to snap this one of Hideki’s at Muirfield. Gotta assume the white areas, which were likely meant to frame the face and center, caused the DQ. Wild stuff. pic.twitter.com/Ek4Oj1xeH9

— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) June 2, 2022

Cover Image via Golfweek