Caddies lining up their players..thoughts please...

[Dodger]

Watched some of the FBR last night and again one of my pet hates came up again.Cannot remember which player it was that was having a torrid time on the greens but anyway he turned to his caddie to stand behind him over putts and basically get a 2nd set of eyes to make sure the blade is lined up correctly for the putt.Yes guys I know it is perfectly legal and indeed this is more prevalaint on the womans tour where the caddie seems to do this on every shot but to me it should be outlawed and to be honest I am suprised that is has not even been looked at by the governing bodies.
To me it aint any different to standing on a par 3 with 6 iron in hand but not being 100 per cent sure if you have the correct club and asking your opponent after he has hit what club he hit and finding out yep 6 is the right club....now that as we all know is illegal.Also feel it would speed up the game espec the women whom I watched at St Andrews last year and a lot of them where getting lined up and by christ slow wasn't the word!!

Interested on your thoughts....

 

[geronimo]

cheating for me.

Is it not against the rules to stand in front of the player when he is putting to give him/her a marker to aim at but it is ok to line them up from behind, don't get this rule at all.

 

[TonyN]

Yeah its a bit crap really. Caddies may aswell play for them. Takes away the whole object of the game for me. In my oppinion caddies should just carry the clubs and let the 'pro' do the golfing.

 

[madandra]

This has been one of my biggest annoyances for years. As you say, it is common on the wimins tour but I have also seen Bernhard Langer get his caddy to line 'in up. Although not illegal I believe it should be frowned upon. A bit like belly putters ....

 

[Doh]

Have to agree with all that has been said it must make the round longer to?

 

[Dave3498]

If your in a fourball betterball, don't you get a second opinion on a putt from your playing partner? Most people do, because you play as a team and that's what caddies and their players are; at team. If you have a second opinion available and it's within the rules, then use it.

 

[USER1999]

And yet in 4 ball matchplay you can get your partner to advise on the line, and line you up. You will see this in the Ryder cup too. It is part of the game. If you can see the line and your partner can't, why penalise the team.

I can't see a lot wrong with this, I have more of a problem with the whole time thing. If a player walks quickly, and then takes longer to play the shot, I don't really care. It is the dawdling about that drives me nuts.

When it's your turn to play, you should have done your pre shot routine, got your line, chosen your club, etc, and be ready, even if that means your caddy has had to line you up early.

 

[USER1999]

Oops, snap!

 

[StuartD]

Have to agree with all that has been said it must make the round longer to?

I was at St Andrews for the Women's Open where quite a few of the caddies were doing this. It was taking six hours for a round.

This made it too frustrating to watch (and the fact it was cold and players were all covered up )

 

[Smudge]

as long as it doesent slow things down too much then its fine, i could have 10 people line me up and still not hit it on the right line!!

 

[medwayjon]

This is one of my main gripes in the world of tournament golf. It just makes the game take a whole lot longer at the end of the day.

 

[geronimo]

was going to say i did not see anything wrong with discussing the line of a put but on thinking about it even this is outside assistance.

If its okay to be told the line then to be put on that line by you're caddy why not let the pro's go round with there swing doctors to correct any wee swing variations.

Outside assistance is what it say's on the tin.

The pro gets very accurate distance markers from the caddy, they get sparkling clean clubs for every shot and they get there clubs carried for them.
All they have to do is asses the conditions, decide on the shot (which the caddy helps with) and then play the shot.

These blokes/girls are the best in the world the least they can do is do it for them selves.
While it is not against the rules they are welcome to do it, it is up to the governing bodies to change the rules.

 

[TonyN]

Nail...hammer...head (IMO)

 

[Dormie]

Pretty much spot on geronimo:
It's getting to the stage where the Caddie does all the work; sees all the shots, picks all the clubs, chooses the line and the player just has a 'pretty swing'.
Maybe they should change who gets the prize money and the players just get a percentage?!?

 

[Dodger]

good to see I have managed to start a good healthy thread!!
Also good to see the vast majority see this as being in our opinions a bad part of the modern game that it really should be outlawed,shall we start a petition and hand it into the R and A?

 

[geronimo]

the magazine should add this in the next available magazine in the section what we are talking about or do a report on it.

 

[viscount17]

Could this be the next GM vote?

Problem is, that to change a rule you have to get the R&A and USGA to agree. I can see the R&A doing this, but the USGA?
And to re-raise an earlier issue, get rid of other aids, eg gps, at the same time.

 

[rgs]

This should not be allowed-its appears to be part of the caddies contract on the ladies tours.