USPGA "stars"

[Jacko_G]

Why do these guys seem to think they're above the laws of the game because they're stupid enough not to understand the new drop process?

What is it that they can't accept? Why are they up in arms when essentially they're in the wrong by either being to pig ignorant to learn and apply the rules or are silly enough not to learn them? Therefore why are they all bitching. Between them and their caddy and the other player plus his caddy they have four brains to drop the ball correctly.

Do they honestly think and expect the rules will get changed back simply because they can't follow the new drop process? Honest to goodness, what a crock of nonsense.

 

[robinthehood]

Who?

 

[Bxm Foxy]

Dropping from the knee makes perfect sense, and will save re-dropping a lot of the time, which is very tedious viewing!!!

 

[Jacko_G]

https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/news/end-to-the-knee-high-drop-golf-rule/

Plus every week someone is moaning about it.

 

[Slab]

Yeah much as I enjoy watching Thomas and Fowler play, they are in the wrong on this one

I read in an article that these are supposed to be elite athletes but yet they cannot bend forward sufficiently to drop a ball from knee height! summed it up for me


edit: I wonder if they're actually more miffed that they've pretty much lost the opportunity to manipulate a re-drop then do placing ?

 

[bobmac]

edit: I wonder if they're actually more miffed that they've pretty much lost the opportunity to manipulate a re-drop then do placing ?

For the handicap golfer, dropping is just the luck of the draw and not a big problem if they get a bad drop.
For the tour players a bad drop could mean the difference between making the cut, keeping your card, getting into the majors, masses of prize money, tour exemptions, etc.
For example, Tommy Fleetwood came second in the US OPEN last year by one shot and
lost £657,300 in prize money.
If the players think they can gain a legal advantage of course they are going to try (See DJ's drop)

 

[Slab]

For the handicap golfer, dropping is just the luck of the draw and not a big problem if they get a bad drop.
For the tour players a bad drop could mean the difference between making the cut, keeping your card, getting into the majors, masses of prize money, tour exemptions, etc.
For example, Tommy Fleetwood came second in the US OPEN last year by one shot and
lost £657,300 in prize money.
If the players think they can gain a legal advantage of course they are going to try (See DJ's drop)

Yeah I guess that supports a theory that they'd be sad to see that avenue more or less closed off to them. But since its closed equally to the whole field it really cant advantage/disadvantage any player over another so the final placings on Sunday afternoon will remain as they would have been

BTW Fleetwood never lost any money, the 1st place prize money wasn't his to begin with

 

[Imurg]

I don't think most people's issue with it is the actual process of the drop, it's why it needed changing in the first place.....I can't remember when I last had to re-drop, using the old rules, because the ball had rolled out of the allowed area....in the last 2 months I've had to re-drop 3 times....
If you have a 2 club length drop area it's probable that you will drop towards the furthest point from where your ball was in order to gain as much relief as possible.
This could be an inch or two inside the 2 club lengths. A ball dropped from any height other than a couple of inches could easily roll out of that area resulting in a re-drop.
Although dropping from higher (old rules) the ball could roll further.
The way I see it.. if a ball dropped from shoulder height is going to roll more than 2 clubs out side the area then a BA dropped from k we height is going to roll out of an area half the size...
What's that achieving?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm with Jacko on this one. The moans are embarrassing. The changes they are objecting too are really simple ones, deal with them and move on. They sound like old men, not professionals.

 

[Slab]

My 2019 drops have all been on reasonably flat areas so the roll is literally about an inch or 2

I think the pros were very skilled in dropping (legally) but with the aim of ultimately placing it. I doubt that was ever the purpose of the old dropping procedure

 

[Grant85]

Agree - the rules are not ambiguous.

The drop... it was drop from exactly shoulder height. Now it's from exactly knee height. It's not difficult and they even brought in a rule that if you dropped from the wrong height you could re-drop at no penalty.

The caddies lining up players is unfortunate. But the rule has been deliberately written to that it is not ambiguous and does not require any interpretation from officials. If the caddie is behind the player when he is taking his stance, it's a penalty.

It would be almost impossible to write a rule and correctly enforce it if the rule was specifically banning lining up. And would likely be open to abuse much easier, for those who really wanted to break the rules.

Also consider the Adam Schenk penalty last week. When they saw what had happened and he was assessed a penalty the next day - previous versions of the rules would have DQd him for signing the wrong card on the previous day.

 

[rulefan]

golfweek.com/2019/02/26/new-rules-of-golf-martin-slumbers-r-a/

golfweek.com/2019/03/04/golf-new-rules-whining-players/

 

[Jacko_G]

I don't think most people's issue with it is the actual process of the drop, it's why it needed changing in the first place.....I can't remember when I last had to re-drop, using the old rules, because the ball had rolled out of the allowed area....in the last 2 months I've had to re-drop 3 times....
If you have a 2 club length drop area it's probable that you will drop towards the furthest point from where your ball was in order to gain as much relief as possible.
This could be an inch or two inside the 2 club lengths. A ball dropped from any height other than a couple of inches could easily roll out of that area resulting in a re-drop.
Although dropping from higher (old rules) the ball could roll further.
The way I see it.. if a ball dropped from shoulder height is going to roll more than 2 clubs out side the area then a BA dropped from k we height is going to roll out of an area half the size...
What's that achieving?

You could any rule didn't need changing. It stinks of we're not getting our own way.

 

[Imurg]

Not defending them as such but aren't they allowed an opinion?

 

[Jacko_G]

Not defending them as such but aren't they allowed an opinion?

I really don't see what they need an opinion on to be honest. The rules bodies have made a decision re the rules. Just get on with it, falling foul of the rules is their own stupidity so why then bleat and moan simply down to their own stupidity, now their arrogance thinks that by further bleating in the media is going to get them their own way and make the public feel sorry for them.

In case you hadn't figured I think they deserve every penalty shot that comes their way. Rules are for everyone not to be bent or changed when a professional throws his toys out of the pram.

 

[Imurg]

You're having an opinion..

 

[Jacko_G]

You're having an opinion..

Not of the rules. I accept they have been changed.

 

[bobmac]

You could ask who's view is more important, the rule makers or the players.
Or to use an everyday comparison......
Who's view is more important, the politicians or the public.

 

[Jacko_G]

R&A and USGA surely as it's their job to implement and uphold the rules and laws of the game.

 

[Wolf]

Fowler as much as I like him has been caught out by the rules not because the rule is stupid, ambiguous or flawed, he's been caught out simply by not knowing it properly or paying enough attention to what he is doing. He deserves the penalty he got for failing to drop correctly and then to mock the rule the way he did this week further shows a petty side to the player who doesn't like getting his own way.

I'm all for getting the rules to work for them as DJ did, but the flip side is they cannot then argue its unfair when it doesn't go their way.

2nd time in a week I'm agreeing with Jacko, I think I need a lie down..

Edit: took my first drop of the year today from knee height no issue whosoever, and it wasn't confusing to do. The pros need to accept the rules and get on with it in this instance