PGA Championship

[Bier Meister]

so... would this be the tuck rule of golf?

[Gopher]

It was a very unfortunate set of circumstances, but I have no problem with the call itself. As others have mentioned, it was emphasized from the beginning of the week as being the #1 item on the rules sheet. That said, I have a few random thoughts, after watching yesterday's round:

 

- Since when are spectators allowed to stand in (and trample) sand traps at a major PGA event? There was just as much dead/broken grass and foot steps in that sand trap as there was sand. I realize that there are roughly 1000 bunkers on that course, but if the PGA is going to go as far as to say that each and every patch of dirt/sand constitutes a bunker/sand trap, how about them also putting a rule in the spectator guide, simply asking fans not to stand in them (or at the very least, not stand in the same bunker that the tournament leader is hitting out of, on the 72nd hole)? Obviously, they wouldn't be able to rope off every bunker, given the number of them, but given how many people are employed at these events, you would think they could find a few volunteers (per hole) to make sure that fans don't stand IN the bunkers... particularly the ones that players happen to be hitting out of. Yeah, it's Johnson's (and his caddie's) fault, but could they make it any more confusing? How about just putting a concession stand in the bunker, while you're at it.

 

- I can't help but wonder how many other players, throughout the weekend, grounded clubs in similar conditions (and went unnoticed). I'm not saying that I think it happened a lot, but I would be very surprised if Johnson was the only player all week to ground his club on a patch of dirt. Impossible to say, of course, whether or not anyone else did, but I'm guessing that there were other instances that just happened to not be on camera, in front of millions of viewers.

 

- Course is an absolute beast. Wow. You could just see the course wearing on most of the players, as the week went on. Even some of the comments from the players (during interviews) indicated that the venue was beautiful, and taking it all in gave them an opportunity to forget (if only for a moment) that they were there playing a round of golf.

 

- It was fun to watch an entire final round at a major, where (for the most part) Woods, Mickelson, Els, Goosen, Singh, Harrington, and the likes were nowhere to be seen. Should have been called "Young Guns - Part III"... the young bombers (Johnson, Watson, McIlroy, Watney, etc.) are fun to watch, for sure. Fearless off the tee (sometimes to a fault), but for the most part, they have enough touch/finesse in their short game to get out of trouble when needed. Some of the recovery shots yesterday were amazing.

 

- Talk about clutch... Kaymer gets up and down on 18, from what looked like a nearly impossible position, to join the playoff. Had to nail that 15 foot breaker to do it, too. Then, after falling a stroke behind on the first playoff hole, he nails another 15-foot putt on 17... that was huge. If he goes into the final hole one down, I'm not sure it ends the same. Two enormous putts, in a three-hole stretch, by the winner.

[Gopher]

so... would this be the tuck rule of golf?

Pretty much.

[Gopher]

The tournament itself was the most entertaining golf event I can remember watching in quite some time... Just the number of hole-outs that they showed was astonishing. I'm always amazed at how many of those occur in an average PGA event to begin with... on that stage, on a course of that difficulty, the number of shots made from off the green was incredible. From Tom Lehman acing the 217-yard 17th hole on Saturday, to Retief Goosen sinking not one, not two, but THREE pitch shots over the course of less than 18 holes, to Bubba Watson having to sink a bunker shot on the 75th hole to extend the playoff (only to hit the PERFECT shot, and have it get knocked out by the pin), I don't think I've ever hit the rewind button so many times while watching a sporting event.

 

Awesome is an understatement.

[Square]

It is to test the condition of the surface to better predict how it will fly out of the hazard.

Well, the golfer is walking in "the bunker". Wouldn't that give him some idea already on the condition of the surface? I get it was a rule and it was broke. The rule just seems pretty lame.

[bpwallace49]

Well, the golfer is walking in "the bunker". Wouldn't that give him some idea already on the condition of the surface? I get it was a rule and it was broke. The rule just seems pretty lame.

 

I agree . . . . just giving background on the rule, not justifying the reason it exists . .

[Jackass]

No doubt about it, the ruling was correct and no other option was possible at that point. The rule, however, is pure crap and they should have addressed it differently from the start. I didn't hear of any other instances during the tournament where this was an issue, however. There's no question that a lot of this falls on DJ's shoulders. At the very least, he should have noted it enough to give it a second thought, which by his own admission, he did not. I haven't played Whistling Straights, but the closest example I can think of is a couple of the Bandon Dunes courses....built on sand, next to the ocean. There are definitely bunkers but there is far more sand. You still think about where you are every time you're addressing a ball.

 

I definitely wouldn't go so far as to say he got screwed, but it was a bad rule. They wanted to include all 1000 bunkers in play to make the course more interesting and the result is that there are so many tour players complaining about it now, it's getting all sorts of bad PR from what otherwise was a great tournament (at least, final day). It'll be interesting to see if it is the same rule when they return in 5 years.

 

For me, this nails it.

[Square]

I agree . . . . just giving background on the rule, not justifying the reason it exists . .

Right on, I'm not arguing so sorry if I sounded short or something. I just don't know if the community of good golfers actually think this rule makes sense or if it is one of those purist things that have been around forever so they get used to it. I spend more time in the beach than David Hasselhoff (finger gun => shooter's tour ) but I've never heard anyone mention it in regular play. Of course my friends are better at drinking on a golf course than they are getting a low score so I could be completely out of touch with actual quality golfer's opinions on how much of an advantage you get.