PGA Tour winner kicked out of $30K Calcutta after he signed up under abbreviated name

Jonathan Bradley played in a six-man scramble last week in Franklin, Tennessee, at Franklin Bridge Golf Course, an annual tradition at the club called the “Gangsome.”

Twenty-two teams played in the two-day event, with three flights created after the first day. A Calcutta was created for each flight, with 70 percent of the pot going to the team with the lowest score on day two, and the rest going to the runner-ups. The Calcutta created for Bradley’s flight held $30,000, or $21,000 for the winners.

After Day 1, Bradley’s team held the lead at 21 under, and its sights were set on the trophy and the hefty payout.

However, after Bradley hit his tee shot on the third hole during the second round, the club’s owner recognized his swing.

“That looks like J.B. Holmes,” Brooks T. West thought to himself he noted in a story at Golf.com. “And then he hit, and I’m like, ‘That’s J.B. Holmes.’”

Holmes, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, entered the event using his first and middle name instead of the more widely known, J.B.

Once Holmes was discovered, his team was refunded its Calcutta buy-in and was made ineligible for the big purse. However, the team was still allowed to compete for the trophy, an award given to the team with the lowest two-day total in each flight.

In a tweet on Holmes’ account, he responded: “They did not let us participate in Calcutta even though no rules were broken. The man that bought our team got his money back. Unfortunately what was meant to be a fun golf outing with a friend has turned into a compilation of inaccuracies.”

Ryan French of Monday Q Info spoke with a few members of Franklin Bridge and said: “According to one member, when Holmes’ team was announced, the crowd ‘went crazy, boos started, then some random vulgarities started.’ That was followed by chants of bullshit!”

Holmes was not at the dinner afterward, and his team picked up the hardware and left in a hurry.

The two-time Ryder Cup participant hasn’t been too shy about what happened, posting this photo to his Twitter account.

I did play scrabble under my real name…..John Bradley. It was bring your best team….. and we had the best team. pic.twitter.com/RsaYrV9cV5

— J.B. Holmes (@JBHolmesgolf) May 30, 2023

“If he would have just said his name was J.B. Holmes, that would have been fine,” West told Golf.com.

Holmes has made eight starts on Tour this season. He’s missed six cuts and his best finish came at the Genesis Invitational — an event he won over Justin Thomas in 2019 — where he tied for 67th.