The mere mortals among us who slap it on a golf course while searching for an idea of how far we should hit a shot to the green have been using the measuring device for years.
The governing bodies of Golf made them legal in 2014, which meant that those who wanted to abide by the letter of the law could use snipers, place scores for disabilities and play with them in various amateur events.
But a local rule has also been added that allows any tournament committee to ban its use in the competition. Therefore, they have never been allowed on the various professional tours and at the major championships.
The PGA of America stepped outside the box office last week and announced that it will allow devices in its three biggest championships: the PGA Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA and the Kitchen Aid Senior PGA. President Jim Richerson noted how the organization hopes to improve game flow by giving players easy access to the site gained by pointing the device at a flag point and quickly getting a number.
It was a surprise for those involved at the highest levels of the game.
“It’s so frustrating that they never asked those who know best what we think,” said Paul Tesori, a veteran of Webb Simpson. “I really do not believe it will speed up the game one minute.
‘On a normal hole I’ll still have the front [of the green] number, carry number, how many left or right and how many meters behind the pen. The last number we would get is the pen. What happens if the distance meter is more than 1 meter down? Now we will have to redo all our other numbers to match what we are trying to do with the shot. ‘
One longtime caddy who did not want to be identified said: “I am 100 per cent against it. I think at the PGA Championship the optics are bad. In my opinion it will enable the caddies who do not prepare as well as some others the ability to catch up.
‘I also think it will not speed up much at that level, even if it is not. Most guys want multiple numbers. ‘
The use of remote devices makes sense on other levels of play, especially where caddies are not needed or used. The American amateur, for example, allows them. But not the US Open. In fact, no major professional tour or major championship allows the devices, and the PGA of America breaks down from that.
Another longtime caddy, Kip Henley, said the only real benefit would be in rare cases, such as during the 2017 Open, when Jordan Spieth was so off-line after hitting Royal Birkdale’s 13th hole that the guesswork exactly wash.
‘It was a big thing [by Spieth’s caddie Michael Greller]”But 30 caddies would have had 30 different numbers on that lap,” Henley said. ‘I understand that it will speed up the game on such shots, but only minimally. “From the highway, the player still wants the front numbers, and the laser does not give you that … It’s a big mistake in my eyes.”
The strange thing about the decision is that it was hardly a forerunner topic. No one complained about it. And although the PGA of America and the PGA Tour have improved their relationship in recent years and have worked together in many ways, the latter do not intend to abandon local government any time soon.
In 2017, the tour tested the devices during four Korn Ferry events.
“At the time, we decided to ban its use in the official competitions at the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion and the Korn Ferry Tournament for the foreseeable future,” the tour said in a statement. ‘We will assess the impact of the rangefinder. during the competition at the PGA of America’s championships in 2021 and then review the matter with our directors and the Player Advisory Council. ‘
You can bet you will not see the devices at Augusta National for the Masters either.
However, the PGA is an example of how there are different ways in which rules are applied at different tournaments. It is already the only organization that is apparently willing to allow “preferential lies” (hoist, clean and place) during its championships. It does not invoke the “single ball” rule seen at all levels of the pro game. (The “single ball” rule is that players may only use a specific brand and model ball for an entire round). This is just another example.
One theory: the PGA of America represents more than 28,000 clubs across the country. In addition to teaching the game, they also run golf shops and sell their equipment. Maybe this is a way to get the remote devices that the public likes. People can be moved to buy the product if they see the best in the world to use it.
Tiger talks
Since he learned in early January that Tiger Woods had a fourth microdiscectomy (on December 23) and also found out he was already hitting balls, there is little information about his status. Woods has not offered any public updates, and it appears he will have no media available at the Genesis Invitational this week, the tournament he is hosting and where he may be on site this weekend.
Woods dropped to 48th in the world this week, meaning he is eligible for next week’s WGC at The Concession – which is apparently too early for his return. This week there are eight weeks since the operation. The Arnold Palmer invitation would also be in question, though it is possible. So it becomes a waiting game every week to see if he returns. Arnold Palmer? Players? Honda? WGC match play? The latter is 13 weeks past the procedure and a place where he could get at least three weeks – due to the format – two weeks ahead of the Masters.
Jordan’s setback
Jordan Spieth has been part of the weekend talk again lately; he had 54 holes in Phoenix and Pebble Beach. Although he could not add his twelfth PGA Tour anywhere, he finished the T-4 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the T-3 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – the fact that he was there with ‘ a chance, should have been encouraging for a player who has endured so much of golf’s anger over the past three years.
Spieth’s inability to get the ball off the tee into play – and some cold cuts with the putter – is still condemning him. The driver is particularly troublesome, as we saw Sunday when he hit just six clearings at Pebble Beach. A few late birdies helped him shoot 2-under-par 70, but he hampered his chances with bogeys on the sixth par-5 and the par-5 14th. For the weekend, Spieth made a fuss on four par 5s – and lost by 3 strokes.
As you would expect, Spieth has been taking a very positive stance over the past two weeks.
“If I look back at San Diego on Friday night and you tell me I’m going to share the 54-hole lead and have the 54-hole lead two weeks in a row, and just both really fight really hard, I would have said ‘I’m crazy, to be honest, ‘Spieth said. ‘I was not in a big headroom after the missed cut there [at the Farmers Insurance Open] and did really phenomenal work from Sunday to Wednesday of last week, probably the best period of a few days of work I have done in a long time. It just made me believe in what I was progressing. ”
Several winners, Berger’s series, etc.
With his victory at Pebble Beach, Daniel Berger became the fifth player to win several times since the COVID-19 break. Berger won the first event, the Charles Schwab Challenge, in June. Dustin Johnson (Travelers, Northern Trust, Tour Championship, Masters) Jon Rahm (Memorial, BMW Championship), Bryson DeChambeau (Rocket Mortgage, US Open) and Collin Morikawa (Workday Charity Open, PGA Championship) are the others. … Berger has shot 26 consecutive rounds of track record or better, the longest series on the PGA Tour. … Since Spieth last won the Open in 2017, Justin Thomas has had nine wins, Johnson has eight, Brooks Koepka six, DeChambeau six and Rory McIlroy five. … Woods, who at the time of Spieth’s Open victory did not even hit balls due to injuries, has since scored three victories. … Spieth is now 62nd in the world and can still reach the WGC at The Concession next week if he can jump into the top-50 by Monday – although the event goes beyond the top-50 to bring the field to 72 players fill.