USPGA "stars"

[duncan mackie]

I don't think golfers are much different to professional rugby players, cricketers. There'll always be some out there who aren't as savvy as others.

The golfing incidents driving this are a good comparison to both these sports in that they are driven by the subconcious, not by conscious thought.
Most golfers know the rules extremely well, many are/were true rules experts. That they don't come over that way is because of TV coverage nowadays and the general acceptance of the removal of risk, however small, by involving a rules official for the simplest task (If you do get a full coverage of the discussion you quickly realise that they aren't really asking in most cases...
With both rugby and cricket you learn the rules, and foster your own behaviours within those rules - it becomes automatic; you don't have time to think about the consequences of a ruck/maul, you act.
Basically the tour golfers have a huge advantage here!
1. They aren't time-based
2. They have caddies to pick them up and advise them
3. They can always call a rules official...

 

[Deleted member 1147]

it never ceases to amaze me how guys who play golf for a living and never tire of saying its their livelihoods, have little grasp of very simple rules or any rules in general, unless its to some advantage to them in some way

I've often wondered if not being too overly burdened up top, helps some of them be better players, but restricts the ability to understand the rules - hence why they are always having to get clarity off officials for everything they do

 

[duncan mackie]

I've often wondered if not being too overly burdened up top, helps some of them be better players, but restricts the ability to understand the rules - hence why they are always having to get clarity off officials for everything they do

I think you completely misunderstand why they involve the rules officials, let alone their comprehension of the rules.

Just watch DJ with his incident with the tree and cart path.
1. His use of rules language and explanation was straight out of the advanced manual
2. He was telling him rather than asking him what he was proposing to do, and why.

 

[patricks148]

I've often wondered if not being too overly burdened up top, helps some of them be better players, but restricts the ability to understand the rules - hence why they are always having to get clarity off officials for everything they do

i have to agree with you there, Dustin in particular is very "unburdened"

 

[Dando]

i have to agree with you there, Dustin in particular is very "unburdened"

He’s certainly half a sandwich short of a picnic

 

[6535]

I think you completely misunderstand why they involve the rules officials, let alone their comprehension of the rules.

Just watch DJ with his incident with the tree and cart path.
1. His use of rules language and explanation was straight out of the advanced manual
2. He was telling him rather than asking him what he was proposing to do, and why.

Then a hole later you had Rory trying, didn't get it, (whether it was just or not is another thing) accepted and got on with it. Now, if that was Spieth instead of Rory, he would be still arguing now with the rules official.

 

[duncan mackie]

Then a hole later you had Rory trying, didn't get it, (whether it was just or not is another thing) accepted and got on with it. Now, if that was Spieth instead of Rory, he would be still arguing now with the rules official.

I might suggest that Speith wouldn't even have asked. Rory wouldn't either if DO hadn't just had his luck.

There were a lot of dynamics going on in that game, at that time, and Rory clearly got caught up in the moment - DJ had just been extremely fortunate at a point where Rory clearly expected to pick up a shot, and that followed a v long saving putt at the previous and all the shenanigans with DJ striding on/putting out etc

Rory does get caught up in these things, it's his nature. He was making a point rather than expecting relief IMO. He (DJ) just got relief from his tree problem, so can I please...?