British Open, 2017

[jordoo]

Even though I hate when pros get drops like that Spieth's last five have to be the best finish in a major right?

 

[jncuse]

Even though I hate when pros get drops like that Spieth's last five have to be the best finish in a major right?

Don't remember anything like it at a major.

While Sawgrass is not a major, Fowler's run to win back in 2015 or 2016 was similar. I also think Schwartzel birdied the last 4 when he won at Augusta.

I do agree that something feels wrong when rules seem to be overly beneficial (even if correctly applied). I have seen it a handful of times with line of sight rulings where it is especially shady (moving the ball from rough to an adjacent fairway because you claim your line is a cut)

 

[Toga]

 

[SWC75]

I think they should mention thta Jodan has won 3 majors before age 24 for the 167th time in case anybody missed the first 166 times they've said that.

 

[SWC75]

Congrats to Jordan. Putted horribly on the front nine. and then starts hitting bombs on the back nine.

I enjoy the timing, quirks, uniqueness of the British Open... about once a year.

I like seeing a links course - once a year. I don't like it when American courses try to be links courses.

 

[Alsacs]

I will hopefully see some history at Quail Hollow next month.

I would bet on Rory though. He plays well at Quail Hollow.
Who gets the slam first?
Jordan at PGA or Rory at Augusta?

 

[SWC75]

He also had to incur a penalty shot to do that.

But generally after any shot you always have the option (with a one shot penalty)
1) Move it back to where you took the last shot from
2) Move it 2 club length in any direction (or is it one?) but no closer to the hole.
3) Move it is far back on the line between you and the flag.

Not sure if that applies if you are in a bunker... I also think the rule is slightly different if you are in a wetlands area (that is staked as a water hazard). I think 1) and 2) above are the same, but #3 become back from the line it crossed into the hazard. (I think)

The first two options make more sense to me than the third. You either redo the shot or you get a better lie form the same area and thus have the same second shot.

 

[SWC75]

I will hopefully see some history at Quail Hollow next month.

I would bet on Rory though. He plays well at Quail Hollow.
Who gets the slam first?
Jordan at PGA or Rory at Augusta?

Palmer and Watson never won the PGA, which some consider the easiest of the majors to win.

 

[br801]

Palmer and Watson never won the PGA, which some consider the easiest of the majors to win.

None of them are easy to win, which is why many of the greats of the game are missing one or two from their their resumes, and why some really good players never win even one. Only five players have won all four of the modern majors.

The PGA is probably the least glamorous, but it's still a major and probably has the strongest and deepest field of the four. It was a match play event until 1958.

 

[Cowtown]

Even though I hate when pros get drops like that Spieth's last five have to be the best finish in a major right?

Didn't Schwarzl birdie the last four holes on Sunday in his Masters win? Just checked, yes in 2011 to shoot a 66.

 

[Cowtown]

I like seeing a links course - once a year. I don't like it when American courses try to be links courses.

Spoken like a true easterner! Many courses out on the prairies and great plains states have rolling terrain and comparatively few trees, so the links style is often a more natural fit to the lay of the land.

 

[Cowtown]

The line of sight is not based on being able to see the hole, but if there is an non course obstacle in the line you intend to play on.

I get that, it's just that golf has so many otherwise arcane and wonky rules that people begin to lose their toleration. I'm optimistic that the coming rule changes will make the game a lot less like the revenge of a deranged, anal-retentive Scotsman.

 

[donniesyracuse]

The phenomenonal player beat the excellent player today. I still think Kuchar will win one or two majors before he is too old.

 

[SWC75]

I get that, it's just that golf has so many otherwise arcane and wonky rules that people begin to lose their toleration. I'm optimistic that the coming rule changes will make the game a lot less like the revenge of a deranged, anal-retentive Scotsman.

You mean like this guy?

 

[upperdeck]

Don't remember anything like it at a major.

While Sawgrass is not a major, Fowler's run to win back in 2015 or 2016 was similar. I also think Schwartzel birdied the last 4 when he won at Augusta.

I do agree that something feels wrong when rules seem to be overly beneficial (even if correctly applied). I have seen it a handful of times with line of sight rulings where it is especially shady (moving the ball from rough to an adjacent fairway because you claim your line is a cut)

what did he really gain from the line of site though. he still couldnt see where it was going.. but i really wish line of site was just removed from the equation.. its not like you are near anyplace you should be in the first place. give them swing relief and make them play it.

 

[jncuse]

I get that, it's just that golf has so many otherwise arcane and wonky rules that people begin to lose their toleration. I'm optimistic that the coming rule changes will make the game a lot less like the revenge of a deranged, anal-retentive Scotsman.

I know most of the rules., but if I go out on a golf course I play common sense rules . Can't find the ball... drop it in the rough beside the fairway and take your penalty. If you are not in a tournament, don't come all the way back to my teebox when you cannot find your ball. It's not like not following the rules will make my game from a terrible score to a good score... it may influence it a stroke but we are to have fun and what is the difference between an 86 and 87.

I'm not sure if the relaxed rules would change anything from today. You need something that is consistently applied at the highest levels. If I drop my ball at the wrong spot to keep things moving no biggie. But for the pros one shot matters.

 

[Cowtown]

I know most of the rules., but if I go out on a golf course I play common sense rules . Can't find the ball... drop it in the rough beside the fairway and take your penalty. If you are not in a tournament, don't come all the way back to my teebox when you cannot find your ball. It's not like not following the rules will make my game from a terrible score to a good score... it may influence it a stroke but we are to have fun and what is the difference between an 86 and 87.

I'm not sure if the relaxed rules would change anything from today. You need something that is consistently applied at the highest levels. If I drop my ball at the wrong spot to keep things moving no biggie. But for the pros one shot matters.

Agreed, the situation today was pretty much once in a lifetime, not unlike the 12 guys who moved the boulder for Tiger. I think anytime you take a stroke for an unplayable lie, you should go to the nearest point of relief not closer to the hole, rather than straight back as far as you want to go. That forgives unfairly the penalty for a mishit. I know the rule applies equally to any player, but that's a bad rule as evidenced by today.That 20+ minute delay was bad for all the tight asses out there to see, who now will try to apply the rule the same way on weekends.

I'm also referring to the absurd situations where people phone in to complain about things like Craig Stadler's towel, or Lexi Thompson putting the ball to the side of the coin rather than the front. And the especially anal rule where a player assumes his putting stance and the ball wobbles but does not change position, yet still incurs a penalty stroke. Players should be allowed relief from divots. One should not be penalized for someone else's bad behavior. Same with a ball in a footprint in a bunker. Further, a ball hit OB should be the same as any other lateral hazard.

 

[Alsacs]

Looks like a troll job of Tiger Woods.

 

[SWC75]

Agreed, the situation today was pretty much once in a lifetime, not unlike the 12 guys who moved the boulder for Tiger. I think anytime you take a stroke for an unplayable lie, you should go to the nearest point of relief not closer to the hole, rather than straight back as far as you want to go. That forgives unfairly the penalty for a mishit. I know the rule applies equally to any player, but that's a bad rule as evidenced by today.That 20+ minute delay was bad for all the tight asses out there to see, who now will try to apply the rule the same way on weekends.

I'm also referring to the absurd situations where people phone in to complain about things like Craig Stadler's towel, or Lexi Thompson putting the ball to the side of the coin rather than the front. And the especially anal rule where a player assumes his putting stance and the ball wobbles but does not change position, yet still incurs a penalty stroke. Players should be allowed relief from divots. One should not be penalized for someone else's bad behavior. Same with a ball in a footprint in a bunker. Further, a ball hit OB should be the same as any other lateral hazard.

I've got some fouls from Syracuse-Georgetown games I'd like to call in.

 

[jordoo]

Agreed, the situation today was pretty much once in a lifetime, not unlike the 12 guys who moved the boulder for Tiger. I think anytime you take a stroke for an unplayable lie, you should go to the nearest point of relief not closer to the hole, rather than straight back as far as you want to go. That forgives unfairly the penalty for a mishit. I know the rule applies equally to any player, but that's a bad rule as evidenced by today.That 20+ minute delay was bad for all the tight asses out there to see, who now will try to apply the rule the same way on weekends.

I'm also referring to the absurd situations where people phone in to complain about things like Craig Stadler's towel, or Lexi Thompson putting the ball to the side of the coin rather than the front. And the especially anal rule where a player assumes his putting stance and the ball wobbles but does not change position, yet still incurs a penalty stroke. Players should be allowed relief from divots. One should not be penalized for someone else's bad behavior. Same with a ball in a footprint in a bunker. Further, a ball hit OB should be the same as any other lateral hazard.

The point of the unplayable rules are to keep the integrity of the angle of the shot. If you are taking an unplayable you are likely very far offline and should still have to face the penalty of that angle even after taking a stroke since that stroke was to improve you lie not your angle.You get two club lengths no closer, pretty much the same angle. You go backwards as far as you want away from the pin, again same angle. Your other option is to replay the original shot which incurs a stroke and distance penalty. The point of that being that if you aren't going to maintain the same angle then you are getting a BIGGER penalty. That is what really bothered me the line of sight thing. He used the trailers to change the angle of the shot and stay withing range of the green. Basically he used the rules to defeat the spirit of the rules. (of course as you say that was nothing compared to Tigers loose impediment boulder) 20 to 25 minutes is completely unacceptable as well. If I was Kuchar I would have told him to figure it out and hit about 5min in. Then I would have been following him around so he knew I was unhappy. If Spieth can inconvenience Kuchar for that long then certainly Kuchar pressuring him to hurry it up is OK. Everyone praised Spieth for saying he was sorry but in reality he wasn't because he took 20-25min. Sure he may have felt bad afterwords but during he wasn't. Imagine if they weren't in the last group and he took 20-25min? It would have been a huge deal but since it only effected one guy (the only other guy he's really competing with at that point) its cool.

As far as the average golfer. I agree with a lot of what you are saying. I think OB being a lateral hazard is fine to move play along. Plenty of golfers don't even know that its not anyway. On public courses we usually play with some leniency as far as divots and sand go. Just have to make someone else aware of it. On private courses its not usually a problem.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Cowtown]

Barring injury, I've got to think Spieth's chances are as good as any and better than most. And I don't think we've heard the last of Stenson, either. His tee to green game is ideal for British Open golf. Or Matsuyama.

 

[SWC75]

The point of the unplayable rules are to keep the integrity of the angle of the shot. If you are taking an unplayable you are likely very far offline and should still have to face the penalty of that angle even after taking a stroke since that stroke was to improve you lie not your angle.You get two club lengths no closer, pretty much the same angle. You go backwards as far as you want away from the pin, again same angle. Your other option is to replay the original shot which incurs a stroke and distance penalty. The point of that being that if you aren't going to maintain the same angle then you are getting a BIGGER penalty. That is what really bothered me the line of sight thing. He used the trailers to change the angle of the shot and stay withing range of the green. Basically he used the rules to defeat the spirit of the rules. (of course as you say that was nothing compared to Tigers loose impediment boulder) 20 to 25 minutes is completely unacceptable as well. If I was Kuchar I would have told him to figure it out and hit about 5min in. Then I would have been following him around so he knew I was unhappy. If Spieth can inconvenience Kuchar for that long then certainly Kuchar pressuring him to hurry it up is OK. Everyone praised Spieth for saying he was sorry but in reality he wasn't because he took 20-25min. Sure he may have felt bad afterwords but during he wasn't. Imagine if they weren't in the last group and he took 20-25min? It would have been a huge deal but since it only effected one guy (the only other guy he's really competing with at that point) its cool.

As far as the average golfer. I agree with a lot of what you are saying. I think OB being a lateral hazard is fine to move play along. Plenty of golfers don't even know that its not anyway. On public courses we usually play with some leniency as far as divots and sand go. Just have to make someone else aware of it. On private courses its not usually a problem.

Spieth was on the upslope of a steep hill. By moving it back to a flat surface he could easily clear the hill with a normal swing of the right club. It would have been a more difficult shot even with a decent lie swinging upwards at it.

 

[jordoo]

Spieth was on the upslope of a steep hill. By moving it back to a flat surface he could easily clear the hill with a normal swing of the right club. It would have been a more difficult shot even with a decent lie swinging upwards at it.

I understand that and it was buried to the point he likely couldn't have gotten the club on the ball. He had the two club length option but any drop around there could also have been unplayable. He made the best choice I just don't like how he lucked out with the line of sight which changed the angle quite dramatically. The time it took is really the troubling thing. The entire sequence was very strange especially the fact that the practice area is even in play. Usually they are OB to protect those practicing and playing.

 

[donniesyracuse]

The time it took is really the troubling thing.

nothing with Spieth ever goes quickly.