I can't seem to get enough of this guy. Everything he says and or does is funny, entertaining and worth watching. I found this on golf.com. Enjoy!
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid416421268/bctid686946347
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
After Round Interviews
A friend asked me yesterday what I thought about golfers not giving an after round media interview. Last week Tiger left and didn't say a word. I have given this some thought and I can certainly relate to Tiger's disappointment in himself and his final round of play. I know that when I play badly the last thing I want to do is talk about it in the bar with my friends and fellow golfers however I think there might be more to Tiger's lack of an interview. More on this later.
Other players in the past have looked the other way when it came time to giving an interview. Phil was notorious for not wanting to speak to the media however he is getting better and if memory serves even Vijay was on the range instead of inside the press tent.
So should we as viewers care if the players don't want to speak to the media after a round of golf? My answer is NO!
First of all if you spend any time watching a post play interview you will notice they are driven by the players performance. If he plays well then that player through the interview can tell us how he holed a put on the 13th hole knowing that we just saw him sink that vary putt an hour and a half earlier. The broadcast just showed us that same put in the highlights segment of the broadcast as well. The same holds true with a bad round interview. Same questions different answers.
As players embrace media technology and have the time, more and more players will communicate with us using personal blogs and websites and as we as viewers continue to grow it will be us that drive them in this direction. We all should be recording golf on our DVR's by now and most of us will skip through the interviews and the commercials. The exception to the commercials are the Cobra commercials (My god those are funny).
I personally feel that the players should interact with the crowd more and stop to sign autographs. I simply don't feel it necessary for the after round interview. The interview process will not go away however as I mentioned earlier the way the players ultimately communicate with us will.
I have not been on Tiger's website yet but if he has not addressed his play as of yet he should and will most likely do so soon.
Another thing to take into consideration is the character of the player. If you watched the movie Tin Cup you most certainly remember Don Johnson's character not wanting to sign autographs for the child, his grandparents and their dog. I am sure Tiger loves dogs however if he was playing bad and didn't want to sign an autograph we should let it slide. Tiger does more for the golfing community than we will ever know.
Sure the players are playing for our viewing pleasure. They also play for charities, their families and others. Today's golfer is being paid a lot of money. They don't have weekly salaries, they have to perform to make the cut and most play with pride and honor. One bad day and one missed interview does not make the man and it should not define the golfer.
I am sure Tiger feels the pressure. He has lost his streak, he played bad on Sunday and was most likely very upset. The truth is he was smart enough to avoid the interview knowing that he might say something that was not of his character and in Tiger's case character counts.
Other players in the past have looked the other way when it came time to giving an interview. Phil was notorious for not wanting to speak to the media however he is getting better and if memory serves even Vijay was on the range instead of inside the press tent.
So should we as viewers care if the players don't want to speak to the media after a round of golf? My answer is NO!
First of all if you spend any time watching a post play interview you will notice they are driven by the players performance. If he plays well then that player through the interview can tell us how he holed a put on the 13th hole knowing that we just saw him sink that vary putt an hour and a half earlier. The broadcast just showed us that same put in the highlights segment of the broadcast as well. The same holds true with a bad round interview. Same questions different answers.
As players embrace media technology and have the time, more and more players will communicate with us using personal blogs and websites and as we as viewers continue to grow it will be us that drive them in this direction. We all should be recording golf on our DVR's by now and most of us will skip through the interviews and the commercials. The exception to the commercials are the Cobra commercials (My god those are funny).
I personally feel that the players should interact with the crowd more and stop to sign autographs. I simply don't feel it necessary for the after round interview. The interview process will not go away however as I mentioned earlier the way the players ultimately communicate with us will.
I have not been on Tiger's website yet but if he has not addressed his play as of yet he should and will most likely do so soon.
Another thing to take into consideration is the character of the player. If you watched the movie Tin Cup you most certainly remember Don Johnson's character not wanting to sign autographs for the child, his grandparents and their dog. I am sure Tiger loves dogs however if he was playing bad and didn't want to sign an autograph we should let it slide. Tiger does more for the golfing community than we will ever know.
Sure the players are playing for our viewing pleasure. They also play for charities, their families and others. Today's golfer is being paid a lot of money. They don't have weekly salaries, they have to perform to make the cut and most play with pride and honor. One bad day and one missed interview does not make the man and it should not define the golfer.
I am sure Tiger feels the pressure. He has lost his streak, he played bad on Sunday and was most likely very upset. The truth is he was smart enough to avoid the interview knowing that he might say something that was not of his character and in Tiger's case character counts.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Nike Sumo... Oops
Nike swaps drivers sold to public, then deemed non-conforming
Mar. 17, 2007
BEAVERTON, Oregon (AP) -- Nike Golf says some of its Sumo Squared drivers were found to be slightly over U.S. Golf Association regulations, and it has offered customers a replacement driver that conforms to the rules.
Nike said none of its PGA TOUR staff was using the square-shaped driver that exceeded a measurement called "characteristic time" because their clubs are handled at a different facility.
Tiger Woods has never used that model in competition.
Nike President Bob Wood said the USGA notified the company in February there might be a problem. He said Nike conducted its own investigation and found that during production of the drivers for consumers in the United States, Canada and Europe, a variance occurred that made the club fall narrowly outside the specifications.
Characteristic Time (CT) measures in microseconds how long the ball stays on the club during impact. The USGA created the test to measure the trampoline effect in drivers, and the PGA TOUR has adopted it for competition. Starting in 2004, the tour allowed players to voluntarily have their drivers tested to make sure they conform, but only a small number did.
Wood said a competitor told the USGA of potential problems with the Nike club, but he did not identify the company.
He said consumers had from March 26 to April 30 to ask for a replacement driver. He declined to say how many Sumo Squared drivers the company had shipped to retailers.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Mar. 17, 2007
BEAVERTON, Oregon (AP) -- Nike Golf says some of its Sumo Squared drivers were found to be slightly over U.S. Golf Association regulations, and it has offered customers a replacement driver that conforms to the rules.
Nike said none of its PGA TOUR staff was using the square-shaped driver that exceeded a measurement called "characteristic time" because their clubs are handled at a different facility.
Tiger Woods has never used that model in competition.
Nike President Bob Wood said the USGA notified the company in February there might be a problem. He said Nike conducted its own investigation and found that during production of the drivers for consumers in the United States, Canada and Europe, a variance occurred that made the club fall narrowly outside the specifications.
Characteristic Time (CT) measures in microseconds how long the ball stays on the club during impact. The USGA created the test to measure the trampoline effect in drivers, and the PGA TOUR has adopted it for competition. Starting in 2004, the tour allowed players to voluntarily have their drivers tested to make sure they conform, but only a small number did.
Wood said a competitor told the USGA of potential problems with the Nike club, but he did not identify the company.
He said consumers had from March 26 to April 30 to ask for a replacement driver. He declined to say how many Sumo Squared drivers the company had shipped to retailers.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Up on a Roof. I'm off to watch Mark Johnson
I'm off to watch the Senior Tour on Friday and found this information at pgatour.com.
Enjoy
Trabuco Hills High Wins "Shot from the Top" Competition
Mar. 7, 2007
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 6, 2007 -- Always one of the most popular events during Toshiba Classic week, the third-annual "Shot from the Top" went to the "Hills" this year.
Taking advantage of a new format that featured local high school golfers competing alongside Champions Tour professionals and members of the media, Trabuco Hills High captured the "Shot from the Top" Tuesday morning at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa.
For the third consecutive year, players hit their shots from the roof of the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa to the second green of the Newport Beach Country Club -- 162 feet and 16 stories below. This year, however, the event featured the donation of 150 Toshiba laptop computers (carrying a value close to $200,000) to area high schools by Toshiba America Information Systems.
Twenty of those computers will find their way to Trabuco Hills High, courtesy of Trabuco Hills golfers Ricky Taylor (who hit his closest shot 17 feet from the pin), and Justine Chen (14 feet, 2 inches). The pair teamed with former California Angels pitcher Clyde Wright (13 feet) and pro Andy Bean (7-1) to win the team competition, which was based on a point system geared around the distance of the players' shots relative to the pin.
"It's pretty frightening up there, because I'm afraid of heights," Wright said. "I was shaking up there when I was hitting, so I got lucky I hit a good shot and got close."
Bean's shot was the closest among the pros and the third closest overall, behind GOLF CHANNEL reporter Dave Marr III (3-feet, 10-inches) and Ventura County Star reporter Bob Buttitta (6-5). Marr's shot of 3-10 was not only the closest shot this year, but the closest shot hit in the three-year history of the popular event.
"It's certainly different than most things we do," Bean said about hitting off the roof. "We've played par-3s that were about like this and usually they're quite a bit longer and you're hitting 7-iron to 240 yards. It's different. That's all you can say. It's a unique experience because you get to do it with the high school kids, and then Toshiba donating all those computers for the schools. That's why we're out here."
Each of the pros competed with two of the 12 participating high schools and Bean was so dialed in that he helped Irvine High into a second-place tie with University High of Irvine; each school received 18 computers. Bean (14 feet), Marr (3-10) and Irvine High golfers Daniel Torres (15 feet) and Rachel Johnson (33 feet) took the early lead.
"My teams finished first and second, so that was a good thing," Bean said. "I looked at one of them when I hit it to seven feet and the other team kind of looked at me like, 'I thought you weren't going to do that to us.' "
The second-to-last team to go, University climbed into a second-place tie behind the shots of pro Dave Stockton (7-3), University High golfers Ani Gulugian (20-3) and Scott Sexton (21-5) and 12-year-old Bryan Eidsaune, a Make-a-Wish Foundation wish kid from Placentia, Calif., who parked his shot 9 feet, 10 inches from the pin.
Eidsaune was diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma, a cancer so extremely rare that only 100 cases are diagnosed worldwide each year. He hit six balls from the roof, with two of the six finding the green. That 9-foot, 10-inch shot he hit on behalf of the University High team was closer than four of the six participating pros -- including Craig Stadler, Scott Simpson and the last two winners of the Toshiba Classic: Mark Johnson (2005) and Brad Bryant (2006).
Other participating high schools -- which all received laptop computers from Toshiba America Information Systems -- included Corona del Mar High, Costa Mesa High, El Toro High, Estancia High, Laguna Hills High, Mission Viejo High, Newport Harbor High, Northwood High and Woodbridge High.
Enjoy
Trabuco Hills High Wins "Shot from the Top" Competition
Mar. 7, 2007
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 6, 2007 -- Always one of the most popular events during Toshiba Classic week, the third-annual "Shot from the Top" went to the "Hills" this year.
Taking advantage of a new format that featured local high school golfers competing alongside Champions Tour professionals and members of the media, Trabuco Hills High captured the "Shot from the Top" Tuesday morning at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa.
For the third consecutive year, players hit their shots from the roof of the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa to the second green of the Newport Beach Country Club -- 162 feet and 16 stories below. This year, however, the event featured the donation of 150 Toshiba laptop computers (carrying a value close to $200,000) to area high schools by Toshiba America Information Systems.
Twenty of those computers will find their way to Trabuco Hills High, courtesy of Trabuco Hills golfers Ricky Taylor (who hit his closest shot 17 feet from the pin), and Justine Chen (14 feet, 2 inches). The pair teamed with former California Angels pitcher Clyde Wright (13 feet) and pro Andy Bean (7-1) to win the team competition, which was based on a point system geared around the distance of the players' shots relative to the pin.
"It's pretty frightening up there, because I'm afraid of heights," Wright said. "I was shaking up there when I was hitting, so I got lucky I hit a good shot and got close."
Bean's shot was the closest among the pros and the third closest overall, behind GOLF CHANNEL reporter Dave Marr III (3-feet, 10-inches) and Ventura County Star reporter Bob Buttitta (6-5). Marr's shot of 3-10 was not only the closest shot this year, but the closest shot hit in the three-year history of the popular event.
"It's certainly different than most things we do," Bean said about hitting off the roof. "We've played par-3s that were about like this and usually they're quite a bit longer and you're hitting 7-iron to 240 yards. It's different. That's all you can say. It's a unique experience because you get to do it with the high school kids, and then Toshiba donating all those computers for the schools. That's why we're out here."
Each of the pros competed with two of the 12 participating high schools and Bean was so dialed in that he helped Irvine High into a second-place tie with University High of Irvine; each school received 18 computers. Bean (14 feet), Marr (3-10) and Irvine High golfers Daniel Torres (15 feet) and Rachel Johnson (33 feet) took the early lead.
"My teams finished first and second, so that was a good thing," Bean said. "I looked at one of them when I hit it to seven feet and the other team kind of looked at me like, 'I thought you weren't going to do that to us.' "
The second-to-last team to go, University climbed into a second-place tie behind the shots of pro Dave Stockton (7-3), University High golfers Ani Gulugian (20-3) and Scott Sexton (21-5) and 12-year-old Bryan Eidsaune, a Make-a-Wish Foundation wish kid from Placentia, Calif., who parked his shot 9 feet, 10 inches from the pin.
Eidsaune was diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma, a cancer so extremely rare that only 100 cases are diagnosed worldwide each year. He hit six balls from the roof, with two of the six finding the green. That 9-foot, 10-inch shot he hit on behalf of the University High team was closer than four of the six participating pros -- including Craig Stadler, Scott Simpson and the last two winners of the Toshiba Classic: Mark Johnson (2005) and Brad Bryant (2006).
Other participating high schools -- which all received laptop computers from Toshiba America Information Systems -- included Corona del Mar High, Costa Mesa High, El Toro High, Estancia High, Laguna Hills High, Mission Viejo High, Newport Harbor High, Northwood High and Woodbridge High.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
A Message from Tiger
NEWSLETTER
March 7, 2007
By Tiger Woods
Obviously, this is a pretty special week for me and the Tiger Woods Foundation. We are announcing the formation of a new PGA Tour event called the AT&T National in Washington, D.C. during Fourth of July Week, and I'm honored my foundation will be a part of it. Back in 1997, when we first started the Foundation, it was a goal of my father and I to host a PGA Tour event. I just wish he could have been here to see it.
PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and his staff have done an amazing job of pulling this tournament together so quickly. When they approached us about this opportunity several weeks ago, we really didn't know if it was possible. But once the dialogue started and we spoke to Ed Whitacre and AT&T, we realized we had solid backing and could make this dream a reality. This is a wonderful addition to my Foundation's existing relationships with Deutsche Bank (Deutsche Bank Championship) and Target (Target World Challenge presented by Countrywide). My thanks to all three for being such good partners.
We hope to play the tournament at Congressional Country Club. So far, our discussions have been very positive. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes.
As for me playing this year, I'm planning to compete. A lot will depend on the birth of my first child, which obviously takes priority. But right now, my intent is to play.
I'm excited to celebrate July 4th in our nation's capital, and even more thrilled this tournament will help raise long-term funds and awareness for my Foundation. It was almost a no-brainer because of my father's military background and his work with the special forces. My goal has always been to create great citizens through education, character development and career exploration. Then we ask them to return the favor to others. I'm proud to say that during our first year at the new Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, Ca., more than 8,000 kids participated in the program. Overall, the Foundation has touched the lives of more than 10 million kids.
We plan to expand the Tiger Woods Foundation and are currently evaluating how we can best serve the Washington area. Specifically, we hope to bring the Tiger Woods Learning Center to the region. The Learning Center in Anaheim was built after extensive community research and we will follow a similar plan for the Washington area. Our hope is to impact the lives of future generations in a positive way.
Golf-wise, it was disappointing not to win the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. I worked hard to prepare for the event and was playing well, but got off to a poor start in the third round and played catch-up most of the way against Nick O'Hern. I finally caught him, but missed a short putt that would have won the match. Hey, it happens. The most disappointing thing to me is that I didn't see a spike mark in my line. I'm not making excuses - I hit a poor putt - but the spike mark didn't help.
Prior to the tournament, I played a fun round at my home course at Isleworth Country Club with John Smoltz and Jeff Francoeur of the Atlanta Braves and Adam LaRoche of the Pittsburgh Pirates. I played their best-ball and I don't know what the exact total was but I know what the cash number was: Let's just say I did pretty well.
Next up is the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where I've had a good success. Arnold has meant so much to this game and I always enjoy competing in his tournament. Following that, I will play in the WGC-CA Championship at Doral, where I've managed to win the past two years. Then, I'll start preparing for the Masters.
During my recent trip to Dubai, conditions were windy and the desert sand was blowing in my face. I decided to wear sunglasses - something I don't normally wear during competition - and they helped a lot. For the record, they were Nike Golf SIEGE Sunglasses and I highly recommend them.
When my design team and I were in Dubai for the Dubai Desert Classic, we visited Al Ruwaya, the first project for Tiger Woods Design, with our client Tatweer. We are still on track to start construction later this year and hope to open in late 2009.
That's all for now. I'll provide more details on our new tournament next month and also look ahead to the Masters Tournament.
Take care.
Tiger
TIGER'S TIP By Tiger Woods, with Pete McDaniel and Mark Soltau
Compress the Ball
For crisper iron shots, try to trap it against the turf
Most great iron players have at least one thing in common: They take a divot, whether the ball is teed up or on the turf. And it usually comes from a shallow angle of attack, which produces a long, shallow divot about the size of a dollar bill. Conversely, high-handicappers either make a steep downswing and dig a crater through impact, or they don't take a divot at all. Both mistakes lead to inconsistent contact and poor shots.
To improve your ball striking (and your divots), try shallowing out your backswing--swinging a little more around you. That sets up a shallower angle into the ball and a long, thin divot. It also helps if you turn the knuckles of your top hand to the ground through impact. This is a clear sign that you're compressing the ball, trapping it between the clubface and the turf, which will result in a divot on the forward side of the ball.
March 7, 2007
By Tiger Woods
Obviously, this is a pretty special week for me and the Tiger Woods Foundation. We are announcing the formation of a new PGA Tour event called the AT&T National in Washington, D.C. during Fourth of July Week, and I'm honored my foundation will be a part of it. Back in 1997, when we first started the Foundation, it was a goal of my father and I to host a PGA Tour event. I just wish he could have been here to see it.
PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and his staff have done an amazing job of pulling this tournament together so quickly. When they approached us about this opportunity several weeks ago, we really didn't know if it was possible. But once the dialogue started and we spoke to Ed Whitacre and AT&T, we realized we had solid backing and could make this dream a reality. This is a wonderful addition to my Foundation's existing relationships with Deutsche Bank (Deutsche Bank Championship) and Target (Target World Challenge presented by Countrywide). My thanks to all three for being such good partners.
We hope to play the tournament at Congressional Country Club. So far, our discussions have been very positive. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes.
As for me playing this year, I'm planning to compete. A lot will depend on the birth of my first child, which obviously takes priority. But right now, my intent is to play.
I'm excited to celebrate July 4th in our nation's capital, and even more thrilled this tournament will help raise long-term funds and awareness for my Foundation. It was almost a no-brainer because of my father's military background and his work with the special forces. My goal has always been to create great citizens through education, character development and career exploration. Then we ask them to return the favor to others. I'm proud to say that during our first year at the new Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, Ca., more than 8,000 kids participated in the program. Overall, the Foundation has touched the lives of more than 10 million kids.
We plan to expand the Tiger Woods Foundation and are currently evaluating how we can best serve the Washington area. Specifically, we hope to bring the Tiger Woods Learning Center to the region. The Learning Center in Anaheim was built after extensive community research and we will follow a similar plan for the Washington area. Our hope is to impact the lives of future generations in a positive way.
Golf-wise, it was disappointing not to win the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. I worked hard to prepare for the event and was playing well, but got off to a poor start in the third round and played catch-up most of the way against Nick O'Hern. I finally caught him, but missed a short putt that would have won the match. Hey, it happens. The most disappointing thing to me is that I didn't see a spike mark in my line. I'm not making excuses - I hit a poor putt - but the spike mark didn't help.
Prior to the tournament, I played a fun round at my home course at Isleworth Country Club with John Smoltz and Jeff Francoeur of the Atlanta Braves and Adam LaRoche of the Pittsburgh Pirates. I played their best-ball and I don't know what the exact total was but I know what the cash number was: Let's just say I did pretty well.
Next up is the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where I've had a good success. Arnold has meant so much to this game and I always enjoy competing in his tournament. Following that, I will play in the WGC-CA Championship at Doral, where I've managed to win the past two years. Then, I'll start preparing for the Masters.
During my recent trip to Dubai, conditions were windy and the desert sand was blowing in my face. I decided to wear sunglasses - something I don't normally wear during competition - and they helped a lot. For the record, they were Nike Golf SIEGE Sunglasses and I highly recommend them.
When my design team and I were in Dubai for the Dubai Desert Classic, we visited Al Ruwaya, the first project for Tiger Woods Design, with our client Tatweer. We are still on track to start construction later this year and hope to open in late 2009.
That's all for now. I'll provide more details on our new tournament next month and also look ahead to the Masters Tournament.
Take care.
Tiger
TIGER'S TIP By Tiger Woods, with Pete McDaniel and Mark Soltau
Compress the Ball
For crisper iron shots, try to trap it against the turf
Most great iron players have at least one thing in common: They take a divot, whether the ball is teed up or on the turf. And it usually comes from a shallow angle of attack, which produces a long, shallow divot about the size of a dollar bill. Conversely, high-handicappers either make a steep downswing and dig a crater through impact, or they don't take a divot at all. Both mistakes lead to inconsistent contact and poor shots.
To improve your ball striking (and your divots), try shallowing out your backswing--swinging a little more around you. That sets up a shallower angle into the ball and a long, thin divot. It also helps if you turn the knuckles of your top hand to the ground through impact. This is a clear sign that you're compressing the ball, trapping it between the clubface and the turf, which will result in a divot on the forward side of the ball.
Rules of the game
Pgatour.com has added a rules Q&A section with Dillard Pruitt and I thought I would share it with you. You can e-mail your rules questions to Dillard and he will post answers to your questions weekly.
The following was copies from the pga tour website. Enjoy!
Rules of the Game: Pruitt on putter heads, DQs and more
Mar. 6, 2007
Editor's note: PGA TOUR Tournament Official Dillard Pruitt has seen the game from both sides. He played the PGA TOUR from 1988-96 and won the 1991 Chattanooga Classic. He now works as a PGA TOUR rules official and will share his knowledge weekly with PGATOUR.com viewers.
Q: I routinely see players use their putter head (while holding the putter) to mark their ball or sometimes arrange the ball. They pick the ball up and may briefly clean it or line it up while the putter head is used as a mark. Can this be done within the rules of golf? I know some that justify it as speeding up play, but I'm not sure what the actual rule is. Thanks, Brian Hurst
Dillard: Brian, if you will look in the Decisions book on page 276 at Decision 20-1/16. Using the toe of your putter is not recommended, but it is permissible. Thanks, Dillard.
Q: Our foursome hit a ball in the bush. We found the ball nesting right beside a bird's nest and hitting the ball would disturb the nest. Is this rub of the green or is it take relief so as not to disturb the nest? Nearest point of relief, one club length or no penalty? Thanks, Lyle Holmes
Dillard: Lyle, if you will look at Decision 1-4/9 on page 23 of the Decisions on the Rules of Golf. You would get relief, no penalty but its the nearest point where you could make a stroke without damaging the nest. You do not get the point and one club length, just the nearest point. Great question. Thanks, Dillard.
Q: Mr. Pruitt: I follow the leaderboard for each tournament on the PGA TOUR website and, infrequently, there are DQs. Is it possible to have a summary by you of the DQ's the week following the event? I think it would help us amateurs understand and appreciate the rules even more by understanding the basis for a professional golfer being disqualified from a tournament. Thanks for your help. Doug Cross
Dillard: Doug, someone much higher up would have to make this decision. I will be glad to bring this up to those people. We will just have to wait and see. Thanks for the question. I will say that the majority of the DQ's are for signing an incorrect scorecard. Players that play poorly get in a hurry and do not properly check their cards. We have a few that miss their start time but very few. Thanks, Dillard.
Q: Dillard, I was playing my second shot into a par 4 with a two-tiered green when my approach shot got stuck in its own pitch mark right between the two tiers. I marked my ball and repaired the pitch mark, but because it was on a severe down slope, it was impossible to keep the ball from rolling down to the bottom tier (and much closer to the hole) when I replaced it. Since it was just a friendly round, I simply pressed down on the ball to keep it in place and two putted for par, but something told me that wasn't right. I was curious about how I should have proceeded in this situation under the rules. Thanks in advance, Sean
Dillard: Sean, you should find the nearest spot where your ball would come to rest that is no closer to the hole. You should not press the ball into the green. You might have to place the ball several feet from its original position but that's what you need to do. Thanks for the question. Dillard.
Q: Hi. At my home course in Michigan there are a few holes where the fairways and around the greens are always wet due to low lying areas. We have always played free relief for embedded balls whether from a tee shot or a second shot to the green, even in the rough. I read in the rules book that it is no longer through the green but only closely mown grass. I'm confused. What does 25-2 say?
Dillard: Your club pro can adopt a local rule to allow you to take relief from an embedded ball through the green. This is still within the Rules.
Q: How's it going? Here was my situation. I hit a full lob wedge very high and it hit in the steep face of a bunker in front of the green. The ball did not roll down into the middle of the trap; it stuck into the fine, loose sand of the steep face and disappeared! There was no evidence of where the ball went in or rested when I approached the bunker. So, I whacked the steep face with my sand wedge where I thought the ball might be. The ball somehow came out and rolled down into the middle of the trap. My question is: do I get relief without penalty from the disappeared ball or do I play it as I did and hope for the best? Are there any other options here? Thanks for your help and your time. Sincerely, Ryan Hoynacki
Dillard: Ryan, my question to you is did you make a stroke at the ball with intent to strike the ball. You can use many different methods to try and find a ball in the bunker. One would be to take a rake and rake the area that you thought your ball entered the bunker to find a ball. Once you find a ball you need to recreate the lie, leaving a very small area that helps you see the ball and you play from there. You will have to answer the question about the stroke. If you did try to strike at the ball then you play the ball from where it came to rest in the bunker. Thanks Dillard.
The following was copies from the pga tour website. Enjoy!
Rules of the Game: Pruitt on putter heads, DQs and more
Mar. 6, 2007
Editor's note: PGA TOUR Tournament Official Dillard Pruitt has seen the game from both sides. He played the PGA TOUR from 1988-96 and won the 1991 Chattanooga Classic. He now works as a PGA TOUR rules official and will share his knowledge weekly with PGATOUR.com viewers.
Q: I routinely see players use their putter head (while holding the putter) to mark their ball or sometimes arrange the ball. They pick the ball up and may briefly clean it or line it up while the putter head is used as a mark. Can this be done within the rules of golf? I know some that justify it as speeding up play, but I'm not sure what the actual rule is. Thanks, Brian Hurst
Dillard: Brian, if you will look in the Decisions book on page 276 at Decision 20-1/16. Using the toe of your putter is not recommended, but it is permissible. Thanks, Dillard.
Q: Our foursome hit a ball in the bush. We found the ball nesting right beside a bird's nest and hitting the ball would disturb the nest. Is this rub of the green or is it take relief so as not to disturb the nest? Nearest point of relief, one club length or no penalty? Thanks, Lyle Holmes
Dillard: Lyle, if you will look at Decision 1-4/9 on page 23 of the Decisions on the Rules of Golf. You would get relief, no penalty but its the nearest point where you could make a stroke without damaging the nest. You do not get the point and one club length, just the nearest point. Great question. Thanks, Dillard.
Q: Mr. Pruitt: I follow the leaderboard for each tournament on the PGA TOUR website and, infrequently, there are DQs. Is it possible to have a summary by you of the DQ's the week following the event? I think it would help us amateurs understand and appreciate the rules even more by understanding the basis for a professional golfer being disqualified from a tournament. Thanks for your help. Doug Cross
Dillard: Doug, someone much higher up would have to make this decision. I will be glad to bring this up to those people. We will just have to wait and see. Thanks for the question. I will say that the majority of the DQ's are for signing an incorrect scorecard. Players that play poorly get in a hurry and do not properly check their cards. We have a few that miss their start time but very few. Thanks, Dillard.
Q: Dillard, I was playing my second shot into a par 4 with a two-tiered green when my approach shot got stuck in its own pitch mark right between the two tiers. I marked my ball and repaired the pitch mark, but because it was on a severe down slope, it was impossible to keep the ball from rolling down to the bottom tier (and much closer to the hole) when I replaced it. Since it was just a friendly round, I simply pressed down on the ball to keep it in place and two putted for par, but something told me that wasn't right. I was curious about how I should have proceeded in this situation under the rules. Thanks in advance, Sean
Dillard: Sean, you should find the nearest spot where your ball would come to rest that is no closer to the hole. You should not press the ball into the green. You might have to place the ball several feet from its original position but that's what you need to do. Thanks for the question. Dillard.
Q: Hi. At my home course in Michigan there are a few holes where the fairways and around the greens are always wet due to low lying areas. We have always played free relief for embedded balls whether from a tee shot or a second shot to the green, even in the rough. I read in the rules book that it is no longer through the green but only closely mown grass. I'm confused. What does 25-2 say?
Dillard: Your club pro can adopt a local rule to allow you to take relief from an embedded ball through the green. This is still within the Rules.
Q: How's it going? Here was my situation. I hit a full lob wedge very high and it hit in the steep face of a bunker in front of the green. The ball did not roll down into the middle of the trap; it stuck into the fine, loose sand of the steep face and disappeared! There was no evidence of where the ball went in or rested when I approached the bunker. So, I whacked the steep face with my sand wedge where I thought the ball might be. The ball somehow came out and rolled down into the middle of the trap. My question is: do I get relief without penalty from the disappeared ball or do I play it as I did and hope for the best? Are there any other options here? Thanks for your help and your time. Sincerely, Ryan Hoynacki
Dillard: Ryan, my question to you is did you make a stroke at the ball with intent to strike the ball. You can use many different methods to try and find a ball in the bunker. One would be to take a rake and rake the area that you thought your ball entered the bunker to find a ball. Once you find a ball you need to recreate the lie, leaving a very small area that helps you see the ball and you play from there. You will have to answer the question about the stroke. If you did try to strike at the ball then you play the ball from where it came to rest in the bunker. Thanks Dillard.
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