I don't care if rules are rules, they need some discretion

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Pip

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OK, so Poulter may not have made his putt to win in Dubai, but a one shot penalty for accidentally moving his ball marker served no purpose whatsoever. Surely the rules can exist to prevent blatant attempts at improving a lie without penalising genuine and completely inconsequential errors?
 
Just watched this Pip and I have to say it's no wonder Golf attracts criticism for it's antiquated culture.

Outrageous that a rule like that exists even, let alone is enforced in that situation.

Shame on the R&A
 
I disagree.

Golf lives and dies by it's rules.

If the pros weren't happy with them, then player power would ensure a change.

It's the antiquated rules that keep our great game away from the cheating standards of other sports today.
 
But there was no intention or prevention of cheating in Dubai today.

I can join in applauding IJPs sportsmanship and I completely understand what the rules are trying to achieve, but I just cannot see any benefit in applying the rule in this particular instance. For me, it only served to sour the final moments of a great competition.
 
I'm sure there is a rule that says no penalty if either the marker is moved as a direct result of replacing the ball, or the ball moved in the act of removing the marker.

I guess the ball wasn't close enough to say he had started to replace the ball?

I've been trying to watch while cooking dinner and missed it.
 
Ask Brian Davies about rules, he stood by them and lost a tournament I didn't notice Poulter calling a penalty upon himself. Correct me if I'm wrong of course.
 
Thats why this game is great,IJP called the penalty on himself,ok hes gutted to lose,but the satisfaction of nowing you are honest with yourself is more important,He will win a lot more times yet anyway...
 
Just watched this Pip and I have to say it's no wonder Golf attracts criticism for it's antiquated culture.

Outrageous that a rule like that exists even, let alone is enforced in that situation.

Shame on the R&A
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Total rubbish,

RULES are RULES, if you dont like them take up football.

Keep golf pure.....
 
As I said on a previous post. Credit must be given to Poults for his display of sportsmanship and adherence to the rules.
OK, he lost, but as I said earlier, chances are in years to come Poults will be better remembered than Karlsson when discussing the tournament.

Rules are rules, without them I have no doubt that amateurs and pros alike would be cheating their way round the course.
 
Completely disagree. Discretion is great in theory but who decides it was accidental? Much easier to say that it's a penalty and that's that. Everyone knows it's a penalty and how many times do you see this rule breached? Hardly ever so what's the problem. Get on with it. Just the same as accidentally moving your ball, we've all done it, all called a penalty, and been more careful next time.
 
I completely understand the intent of the rules and I agree that the honesty of calling a penalty on yourself is an admirable part of the game and should remain. However, I don't think that golf has anything to gain by penalising players who haven't deliberately cheated or gained any advantage through a minor accident. It's not sporting, it's just plain stubbornness that "rules is rules".

Whether you think Poults would have downed his original putt or not, the decision this morning effectively ended his hopes, you could physically see him drain. They may as well have drawn straws on the tee to decide the winner.

Maybe Poulter subconsciously did it on purpose to avoid the embarrassment of missing the putt?

As for players cheating their way around the course, I wonder how many amateurs genuinely would know that an incident like this would incur a penalty anyway?
 
It's a case of swings and roundabouts really. How many good breaks will a player get in a year by using the rules to his advantage ? In this case, it went the other way and the player was penalised.

Seems tough, but, you've got to play by the rules as they are writen, it makes the game fair for all players, at all levels of the game.
 
It's a case of swings and roundabouts really. How many good breaks will a player get in a year by using the rules to his advantage ? In this case, it went the other way and the player was penalised.

Seems tough, but, you've got to play by the rules as they are writen, it makes the game fair for all players, at all levels of the game.
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Fair point. I always have a wry smile on my face when someone hooks it 100yds into a car park or hospitality tent and gets a free drop onto a perfect lie. It's a strategy I've contemplated trying myself!
 
Just watched this Pip and I have to say it's no wonder Golf attracts criticism for it's antiquated culture.

Outrageous that a rule like that exists even, let alone is enforced in that situation.

Shame on the R&A
Click to expand...

Total rubbish,

RULES are RULES, if you dont like them take up football.

Keep golf pure.....
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I wonder if you see the irony in your post Sir.
You shout from the terraces with phrases such as 'Total Rubbish, Rules are Rule, if you don't like it play football'

Is not the point of your deep seated ideals that Golf is a Gentlemans game, a game steeped in etiqutte and reasoned debate, a game that prides itself on it's ability to transcend the popular current day unsportsmanlike conduct, and yet there you are shouting from the terraces like a football yob..

If you wish to engage me in debate then please give me something to work with Sir.
 
Just watched this Pip and I have to say it's no wonder Golf attracts criticism for it's antiquated culture.

Outrageous that a rule like that exists even, let alone is enforced in that situation.

Shame on the R&A
Click to expand...

Total rubbish,

RULES are RULES, if you dont like them take up football.

Keep golf pure.....
Click to expand...
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Ian, i too think the idea behind your post is rubbish and i'm not shouting it from any terrace.

Unlike nearly any other sport golf is played over an extremely large and ever changing "field" without any direct referee as such. The players referee themselves (or call for a ruling) as well as being the eyes and ears for the rest of the field.

You can take nearly every one of the rules out of the book and infringe it unintentionallly and without gain or advantage. Where do you suggest the line is drawn?

After addressing the ball in the rough it moves slightly into a worse lie, do you penalise that?? No advantage gained, in fact it' worse off.
Next hole, address the ball in the rough again (time to work on your driving btw ;)) it moves slightly again but this time into a lovely lie that you can even get the driver on. Penalty this time??

The type of person this will put off playing the game is the same sort who doesn't mind a little leather wedging in the rough. Having no respect for the rules would mean no respect for the integrity or ettiqutte involved in the game either. Are those people the ones you really want to encourage into the game anyway?
 
You can take nearly every one of the rules out of the book and infringe it unintentionally and without gain or advantage. Where do you suggest the line is drawn?
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The natural question then is, why is the rule in there in the first place? Is it to deter players from cheating or is to make the game as difficult as it can possibly be by penalising errors that on their own would have no other consequence on the game or result?
 
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