2024 PGA Tour

[cshea]

US Open Booth...

https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2024/05/06/nbc-announces-broadcast-booth-for-us-open-pinehurst-north-carolina-golf-dan-hicks-mike-tirico-brandel-chamblee-brad-faxon-whos-in

Hicks, Tirico, Brandel, Faxon. Apparently Hicks/Brandel are doing even numbered holes and Tirico/Faxon are doing odd numbered holes.

Bones is also back, will be on-course with Smylie and Wood.

 

[cshea]

Signature event at Quail Hollow begins today. Scottie is not in the field as he is still on baby watch so someone else gets to win. Rory, Max, JT and Wyndham are all players who have had success here.

PGA Championship next week. Brooks is coming of a dub at LIV Singapore, the baby situation with Scottie and the return to Rory's last major victory are all storylines headed into next week.

 

[cshea]

Xander got the most outrageous TIO on 8.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

Xander got the most outrageous TIO on 8.

That seemed crazy

 

[Comfortably Lomb]

Xander got the most outrageous TIO on 8.

Fantastic!

https://www.pgatour.com/video/competition/6352617117112/xander-schauffele-takes-relief-from-shotlink-tower-saves-par-at-wells-fargo

 

[Lupe Whalewatch]

wow, just watched that. Beyond the sketchy ruling, he got relief but had to remain in the penalty area. Then before he drops he clears the area where he is going to drop from pine needles, etc. I'm pretty sure you can't touch anything inside a penalty area, or improve your lie in any way. Isn't that right?

 

[jercra]

wow, just watched that. Beyond the sketchy ruling, he got relief but had to remain in the penalty area. Then before he drops he clears the area where he is going to drop from pine needles, etc. I'm pretty sure you can't touch anything inside a penalty area, or improve your lie in any way. Isn't that right?

That was changed in 2019. You can remove loose impediments in a hazard now.

 

[Lupe Whalewatch]

That was changed in 2019. You can remove loose impediments in a hazard now.

Ah good to know, thank you.

 

[Mooch]

Wow, that ruling was insane. I don’t think there was any way that he was going to play a shot there. He was 100% in jail in those woods and couldn’t possibly get the ball to that tower.

 

[cshea]

The concept of free relief from a penalty area doesn't add up for me. You're not supposed to hit it in there. It's supposed to cause a penalty. That is why they call it a penalty area. I'm fine if you have a lie and want to try and play it out of there but you shouldn't be able to apply TIO and other free relief mechanisms. It's a penalty area.

 

[jercra]

The concept of free relief from a penalty area doesn't add up for me. You're not supposed to hit it in there. It's supposed to cause a penalty. That is why they call it a penalty area. I'm fine if you have a lie and want to try and play it out of there but you shouldn't be able to apply TIO and other free relief mechanisms. It's a penalty area.

Yeah, this is one of those rules where it seems silly on the surface, but you can start to debate as you start looking into why it is the way it is. The theory is that you have the right to the golf course as it exists when there is not a tournament being played. If it was, say, a match play event and not a stroke play event, he would have 100% attempted to save something with a miracle shot there rather than give up the hole and could not have played it through the Shotlink tower. He deserves the right to attempt the shot, as unplayable as it may look and regardless of it being in a penalty area. You are allowed to play out of a penalty are in the exact same way you are allowed to play anywhere else in the general area. The only difference is, ironically, that you don't get relief from immovable obstructions, temporary water, burrowing animal holes, etc. because those are all still part of the golf course. I could go either way, but if there were a big tractor parked at the edge of the rough of my course and my ball was just past a red line but perfectly playable, I'd be pretty pissed if I had to take a penalty when the guy the day before me didn't.

 

[Average Reds]

Yeah, this is one of those rules where it seems silly on the surface, but you can start to debate as you start looking into why it is the way it is. The theory is that you have the right to the golf course as it exists when there is not a tournament being played. If it was, say, a match play event and not a stroke play event, he would have 100% attempted to save something with a miracle shot there rather than give up the hole and could not have played it through the Shotlink tower. He deserves the right to attempt the shot, as unplayable as it may look and regardless of it being in a penalty area. You are allowed to play out of a penalty are in the exact same way you are allowed to play anywhere else in the general area. The only difference is, ironically, that you don't get relief from immovable obstructions, temporary water, burrowing animal holes, etc. because those are all still part of the golf course. I could go either way, but if there were a big tractor parked at the edge of the rough of my course and my ball was just past a red line but perfectly playable, I'd be pretty pissed if I had to take a penalty when the guy the day before me didn't.

I get what you are saying here and agree with the example you give. The problem is that your example is totally incongruent with what happened in this case.

Xander had a shot that was unplayable in every sense of the word. For a rules official to state that it was theoretically possible for him to reach the TIO, which entitles him to relief, is utter and complete bullshit. (Like, “those are fire ants” levels of bullshit.)

The USGA has done some great work in recent years by removing some of the more egregious examples of stupidity from the rule book. In this case, an on-site official basically ignored the USGA’s approach and made a ruling that defies logic and common sense.

I don’t blame Xander, as all he did was ask. But the rules official should have laughed, said no and then got to work figuring out where he crossed the line so he could take relief.

 

[Eagle3]

I get what you are saying here and agree with the example you give. The problem is that your example is totally incongruent with what happened in this case.

Xander had a shot that was unplayable in every sense of the word. For a rules official to state that it was theoretically possible for him to reach the TIO, which entitles him to relief, is utter and complete bullshit. (Like, “those are fire ants” levels of bullshit.)

The USGA has done some great work in recent years by removing some of the more egregious examples of stupidity from the rule book. In this case, an on-site official basically ignored the USGA’s approach and made a ruling that defies logic and common sense.

I don’t blame Xander, as all he did was ask. But the rules official should have laughed, said no and then got to work figuring out where he crossed the line so he could take relief.

Johnson Wagner went to the spot and hit the shot.

https://www.msn.com/en-US/sports/golf/johnson-wagner-goes-in-the-trees-to-detail-xander-schauffele-ruling--executes-shot/ar-BB1mba5d?ocid=sapphireappshare

He hit it out. He also didn't hit the tower, but the point was it was the right ruling because it was a legit option to go in that direction. I still think it shouldn't be a free drop though. I think you should have to hit the shot, and THEN if you hit the obstruction you basically get a mulligan where you then get the drop and rehit with no penalty. The exception would be if the obstruction is literally blocking your entire path where you have no chance of getting by it, such as grandstands. Some common sense has to prevail.

 

[Eagle3]

if there were a big tractor parked at the edge of the rough of my course and my ball was just past a red line but perfectly playable, I'd be pretty pissed if I had to take a penalty when the guy the day before me didn't.

I played in a greenskeeper's revenge tourney a few years ago where they parked a tractor a couple of yards in front of the green on a long par 4 where you're hitting a mid-long iron 2nd shot.

 

[snowmanny]

Johnson Wagner went to the spot and hit the shot.

https://www.msn.com/en-US/sports/golf/johnson-wagner-goes-in-the-trees-to-detail-xander-schauffele-ruling--executes-shot/ar-BB1mba5d?ocid=sapphireappshare

He hit it out. He also didn't hit the tower, but the point was it was the right ruling because it was a legit option to go in that direction. I still think it shouldn't be a free drop though. I think you should have to hit the shot, and THEN if you hit the obstruction you basically get a mulligan where you then get the drop and rehit with no penalty. The exception would be if the obstruction is literally blocking your entire path where you have no chance of getting by it, such as grandstands. Some common sense has to prevail.

Also, it sounded as if the problem wasn’t the actual tower, it was the guy wires off the tower that fell into the expected shot area.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

The course is showing some teeth today

 

[cshea]

Sungjae lurking but mostly a Xander/Rory duel.

 

[Eagle3]

If Xander wins by one that "good fortune" with the drop looms large.

 

[jercra]

Johnson Wagner went to the spot and hit the shot.

https://www.msn.com/en-US/sports/golf/johnson-wagner-goes-in-the-trees-to-detail-xander-schauffele-ruling--executes-shot/ar-BB1mba5d?ocid=sapphireappshare

He hit it out. He also didn't hit the tower, but the point was it was the right ruling because it was a legit option to go in that direction. I still think it shouldn't be a free drop though. I think you should have to hit the shot, and THEN if you hit the obstruction you basically get a mulligan where you then get the drop and rehit with no penalty. The exception would be if the obstruction is literally blocking your entire path where you have no chance of getting by it, such as grandstands. Some common sense has to prevail.

So try to hit the obstruction to get relief after? That would be a weird rule. And they would basically always be able to hit the obstruction if they wanted to. They're pretty good at hitting the ball where they want to

 

[Eagle3]

So try to hit the obstruction to get relief after? That would be a weird rule. And they would basically always be able to hit the obstruction if they wanted to. They're pretty good at hitting the ball where they want to

You're probably right in a lot of cases, although I don't think it would have been the case in Xanders situation.

How about declaring the shot link towers part of the course, similar to the sprinkler control boxes they hide in the woods. They put them out of the way enough where If you get behind one tough shit. Hit around it or take an unplayable. You don't deserve a free drop when you hit it that far off line.

I also don't think they should get a free drop when they hit it OVER the grandstands. That far off line should be a penalty If you want to move it.

 

[Mooch]

Rory on fire. -4 in his past three holes.

 

[cshea]

Rory in a rout.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

If Rory putts like this, he's unbeatable except if he runs into Scottie and he's also putting like this.

 

[Mooch]

Wow, eagle from the bunker. He’s absolutely on fire. -8 for the day.

 

[Comfortably Lomb]

Rory just put the pedal down today.

Also just went driver -> 9-iron OVER the green on the 505 yard 18th lol.