2024 PGA Tour

cshea

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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.
 

Lupe Whalewatch

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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

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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.
 

Mooch

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Dec 8, 2005
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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.
 

jercra

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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

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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

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

Dan Murfman

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Yesterday was sectional day for US Open. Tough beat for Sergio. He was in great qualifying position but doubled par 5 16th and wound up in a 7 for 6 spots. On the first playoff hole he made the only bogey and is now first alternate.

US Open Qualifying
 

soxhop411

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Senator Donut

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Learning that she is about to retire after playing in her 18th US Open, I assumed Lexi was much older than I previously thought. However, she's playing in her 18th at only 29 years old!

Obviously the aging curves for women in the sport of golf are drastically different that that of the men, but qualifying for her national championship every year since the age of 12 without exception is quite remarkable
 

jercra

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Learning that she is about to retire after playing in her 18th US Open, I assumed Lexi was much older than I previously thought. However, she's playing in her 18th at only 29 years old!

Obviously the aging curves for women in the sport of golf are drastically different that that of the men, but qualifying for her national championship every year since the age of 12 without exception is quite remarkable
She's only retiring from playing full-time on the LPGA. I expect she'll still play in a select few events, ala Tiger.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Could be cross-posted in the careers derailed by injury thread... she's been battling wrist injuries for years. Driver distance is down this year. She's made some comments in recent years that made it sound a bit like the grind of being a tour pro was starting to wear on her mentally too.
 

cshea

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US Women's Open Week.

Nelly Korda, who has won 6 of her 8 starts on the LPGA Tour this year including a major makes a 10 on the par 3 12th hole (her 3rd).
 

canderson

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Jul 16, 2005
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I just watched a shot on 12 land on and kill a bird that was chilling on the green. I walked the course a few days ago and they did a great job with it. But carnage!
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Feb 22, 2004
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The Paris of the 80s
Korda is in one of the featured groups on the USGA website stream. Her swing appears to be in dumpster fire mode today. She's spraying the ball all over the course. Fun two way miss stuff. Some days you just don't have it.

Also, the course even without the USGA setup looks very unforgiving. Lots of opportunities to put up crooked numbers. Same architect who designed Shinnecock and Cherry Hills.
 

cshea

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I realize it is a "but other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln" situation but she's hung in there pretty well. +2 on the other 16 holes and just hit a good one on 8 and has about 5-7 feet for birdie. +2 would put her top 15ish (T41 right now but that's with a ton of players who just started and have only played a few holes thus cluttering the leaderboard around E).
 
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luckysox

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I was out there today - brutal course for walking, brutal course in general. Absolutely gorgeous, but the greens are so fast, any miss above the hole can easily lead to carnage. I’d you’re watching on tv, you simply cannot appreciate the elevation changes and the slope to every fairway and green, nor can you really see the stunning beauty of the course.

Nelly had three birdies in a row at one point (6-8, I think) but her swing was off, she missed some fairways out there. I think she may be one ohe more shy individuals I’ve ever seen play a professional sport. At one point on 14, she had just hit out of a fairway bunker and was waiting for Khang to play her 2nd. Most of the crowd had walked up to the green to watch her putt, but my dad and I stayed and watched the other two players hit. Nelly was about 10 feet away and a little girl said, so sweetly and softly, “you hit a nice shot Nelly.” Nelly turned and half waved at the kid and said “Thankyou.” In that moment, I noticed that the 8 year old little girl was more comfortable than Nelly was during the interaction. She’s not remotely rude or stand-off-ish - I think she is just socially uncomfortable.

Favorite moment of the day was almost getting hit by Jin Young Ko’s tee shot off of #3…I was standing under a tree, hadn’t seen the ball off of the tee because I was looking back up an enormous hill and just couldn’t pick it up, and I hear leaves crashing above me - it landed about a foot away and bounded near a temporary sign, from which she got relief and hit a wicked draw/hook from the left trees up onto the green like was nothing at all.

Fun day.
 

cshea

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Cam Davis and Adam Scott in a playoff for a spot in the US Open.

Scott trying to extend his consecutive majors streak to 93.