"Rory rues 'stupid' sand error"
An unbylined Irish Examiner story explains Rory McIlroy's Friday rules violation in Abu Dhabi, brushing sand away from his line when he was off the 9th green.
"I wasn't thinking clearly and just made a very stupid mental mistake," McIlroy said following a level-par 72 that left him tied for fourth on five-under-par and part of a group which also included Tiger Woods. Asked if he did not know the rule or just had a loss of concentration, he added: "I think it was a little bit of both - first week back as well. "Luke said: 'Don't think you can do that', and I was like: 'Oh yeah, I can't, can I?'.
"It happens and you just have to take it on the chin. "There was so much sand in my line I didn't even think about it. I'll definitely not do it again." McIlroy certainly did not blame Donald for pointing it out and remembered what happened to Padraig Harrington in the same event last year.
I've watched the telecast and you don't see him actually violate the rule, instead just asking his playing partners if he'd erred. No YouTube video coming...so he's got that going for him.
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 09:13 AM
Reader Comments (16)
Remember the huge issue at Augusta 3-4 years ago when he smoothed the sand in a greenside bunker after a shot that never made it out of the sand in the first place? He signed card, went to his rented home, and officials tried to contact him for the next several hours.
They eventually called him back to the course 4 hours later -- darkness had fallen -- and charitably ruled ... no penalty.
Barry
I noticed she is conspicuously absent from the play-by-play booth this year...they threw her out there as "your host" in Hawaii doing interviews and blabbing away but nothing since her grossly uncomfortable "pot moment" with Matt Every. The NBC/Golf Channel merger has given us many gifts, not the least of which is finally putting a muzzle on Kelly Tilghman. Keep her on Golf Central...let her read the teleprompter...but please keep her away from the live golf telecasts.
'nuff said!
still ...
Now if Rory wanted to brush sand off the green (and please, someone correct me if I'm wrong here)...then that's OK...he could even use his hat to do it...but not off the green???? Likewise, if the ball is on the green, he could still brush sand away...but not use the hat. Even for a pro...it seems kinda odd having these sort of restrictions.
IMO, it's best to play everything down and not let em brush away anything through the green and be done with it.
I must correct you, as requested. Loose impediments may be moved by any means, except that, in removing loose impediments on the line of putt, the player must not press anything down. Rule 16-1a and Decision 23-1/1. So, a player may use their hat to remove sand from the putting green.
Whilst a lot of golfers call for the Rules to be simplified, most of their suggestions lead to additional complications, which require more Decisions. For example, your suggestion, "to play everything down and not let em brush away anything through the green and be done with it", would mean that a player might have to putt over seeds, leaves, twigs, worm casts, lumps of sand from bunker play, etc. etc. It is my experience that a lot of thought has gone behind ever Rule (over 200 years of thought) and that there are no easy ways to simplify a game that has one unified set of Rules wherever it is played in the world.
Barry