Weekend Wrap: Grayson Murray Headed To Masters And PGA Championship

/

Wrap: Scheffler Repeats, Tiger To Play Genesis

/

Masters champ Scottie Scheffler defends in Scottsdale where he kicked off his magical 2022 run.

Plus, after drops by Schauffele and Scheffler, Tour needs more free drop accountability.

Then, a preview of Tiger’s return this week to prep for majors and to find out if his putting can be presentable (by his lofty standards).

And finally, a Genesis Invitational preview.

Major(s) News & Notes, November 10, 2022

/

Stunner: They're Not Exactly Playing By The Rules Of Golf In The Saudi Golf League

/

There are some fabulous details in Sean Zak’s Golf.com story looking at two rules situations at the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational. That young man’s mane of Slugger White’s might be thinning grey by the time he lands back in the States!

In the first instance, a caddie signaled to another player what club was used. White decided to issue a warning even though the caddie in question is a pro jock. And Slugger also made a request to fill divots. Charming. So they don’t know the rules or etiquette.

On brand in Saudi golf land!

In the second incident, also involving J.C. Ritchie of South Africa, well, it’s less a clear violation but speaks to the integrity of the competition…

Phachara Khongwatamai, of Thailand, the third player in Ritchie’s group, was playing so well Thursday that many of his shots were being shown on the event’s coverage. Ritchie, noting the action of the cameras around them, was concerned that viewers streaming at home might have seen the infraction and thought it had been overlooked. That was Ritchie’s first question when he approached White near scoring.

“If something like that happens out there,” he asked White Thursday, “do you want me to just be quiet?” 

White, it appeared, was unsure what to say. It was an odd question, to be sure, but Ritchie’s player support followed with the same query. What do you want us to do? 

“Well, you have a fiduciary responsibility to the rest of the field,” White said.

“Did something happen out there?” I asked Ritchie as he headed in to finalize his scores.

His player support turned around and said, “No. Nothing.”

Rules: Two Wacky Situations At Harbour Town

/

Neither of these instances are particularly relatable to the average golfer. Nonetheless they’re unusual ones and if you had money on these players.

Nick Piastowski documents the bizarre scene involving Harold Varner in the 2022 RBC Heritage Classic second round. Varner contends that his ball was moved by a resident who picked up his ball from the original position to identify it and placed it out of bounds. The person denied this and the official agreed with the off-course spectator, though announcers on PGA Tour Live thought the man’s movements were questionable at the time.

“Without a doubt,” Varner said. “The biggest thing for me that I could sleep on is that there was out of bounds right of the creek, and the TV said it’s in the creek. There’s a golf ball right there. I’m not going to be naive and be like my ball couldn’t go there. So I did the right thing, and I said, hey, can you see if that’s my ball? At the time, we couldn’t find a bridge to get across the creek.

“It’s great. I won’t stop talking about it until I talk to Coxy. At some point, the players should have — if I wouldn’t have been there and didn’t see the guy move the ball, I don’t — cool, I’ll go back to the tee. But I’m looking there, and I’m like that’s not right. The rules are there to protect the players, I thought.”

When reached for comment by GOLF.com, a PGA Tour spokesman said, “Stephen is not going to comment on it until he has a chance to talk to Harold about it.” 

If the fan had moved the ball from its original position, Varner would have been allowed to move it back to its original location, under under Rule 9.6, which states: “If it is known or virtually certain that an outside influence (including another player in stroke play or another ball) lifted or moved a player’s ball: There is no penalty, and the ball must be replaced on its original spot (which if not known must be estimated) (see Rule 14.2).”

Instead, Varner was hit with a penalty, and he double-bogeyed the hole.

Varner went on to miss a sudden death playoff by a stroke.

Dylan Frittelli was able to find his ball in Spanish moss and play it, but stood astride of his ball as an official appeared to be watching.

The PGA Tour announced a penalty on Twitter.

Frittelli took to Twitter after his round to declare “the rules of golf remain undefeated.”

Committee Has Reviewed Scheffler's 18th Hole Drop: No Issues

/

Third round Masters leader Scottie Scheffler took an unplayable lie relief and one shot penalty Saturday en route to a 71. He leads by three heading into the final round.

Several social media users took issue parts of the seven-minute drop situation, including what ball Scheffler was using and what was found, the two-club length relief and his clearing of some pine needles. A club spokesman confirmed that the Rules Committee has reviewed the drop and has no concerns with how it was handled by Scheffler or official Kevin Feeney of the DP World Tour.

After reviewing the Featured Group coverage and screen grabs of the ball resting under the Holly, the number looks like a 6 and a 7 depending on when the video is paused and the quality of the video.

But one things is clear: Scheffler calls out to the forecaddies to be looking for a Titleist 7. The forecaddie is heard definitively calling out that he has located a Titleist 7

Also of concern to several viewers was Scheffler’s two-club length drop. Note in this first image the ball and referee Feeney pointing to a spot away from the ball:

Image two shows Scheffler taking the first of two club lengths from the spot, however as the third image shows, the butt end of the club, discernible in the leaves and pine needles, is not at the ball. The Rules of Golf say two club lengths from the ball, but Scheffler clearly is seen following the guidance of the official who was likely given the closest approximation possible due to the extensive undergrowth.

Berger: "I've never taken a bad drop in my life and I’m not about to take one now"

/

Daniel Berger’s ball is circled in black

Another rules incident was reported but not shown on NBC’s broadcast of the Players, this time involving Daniel Berger being openly questioned by playing partners Joel Dahmen and Viktor Hovland.

It would have been tough to go into great depth with the tournament coming down to the last few holes and Berger having fallen out of contention. Still, this uncomfortable one comes on the heal of similar sticky situations at Bay Hill the previous week.

Thanks to PGA Tour Live and a more progressive Tour posting such things, you can view the Berger shot and lengthy discussion between the three, joined too by chief referee Gary Young who ultimately left things up to the players.

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak wrote about the episode.

Both Berger and Dahmen declined to speak to the media after the round, but Hovland answered a few questions on the subject.

“It’s not a fun conversation, but when you strongly believe in something, you kind of have to stand your ground,” Hovland said. “It’s not like we’re trying to dog on Daniel and trying to screw him over. It’s just, that’s what we believe, and he obviously felt strongly the other way. It’s just what it is. I’m not accusing him of anything. The golf ball is in the air for a couple seconds, so it’s tough to exactly pinpoint where it crossed and not. But Joel and I saw it in one way and he saw it differently.”

As with the events at Bay HIll, it’s disconcerting the video evidence was not shown on network on TV or that in the Berger case, it was determined there was no such evidence to influence the discussion.

Maybe a PGA Tour Live sub for the referees?

ShotLink also appeared to capture the trajectory of the ball. Note the dashed line. Whether this would have settled the debate is another matter.

The dashed line captures the approximate point of entry.

Note the dashed line, lower left (ShotLink)

Reviewing the evidence and reporting on it with pictures continues to be desperately needing to be addressed on broadcasts. It’s also just good TV.

At least in this case there were social media postings by the PGA Tour sharing the episode and a close viewing would suggest both sides scored legitimate points. The video evidence supports Berger’s belief and ShotLink may lean a bit toward Dahmen and Hovland’s view. That we got to see it via social media is progress and in a weird way, the transparency seems beneficial to all of the players.

Music Video: Harrop's Latest Takes On @useGolfFACTS

/

For those not aware of golf Twitter’s underworld and the bizarre burner account @useGolfFACTS offers a range of conspiratorial takes generally defending Patrick Reed.

The account has inspired singer, songwriter and satirist Sam Harrop’s latest single. If you aren’t aware of @useGolfFACTS won’t make a bit of sense but that should not stop you from watching. Or doing a little Google work to discover the belief that yes, the Hero World Challenge sand rearranging video has been doctored. Really.

Turns Out, Charley Hoffman Just Really Wanted Attention

/

After a sparkling third round 79, sponsor ambassador Charley Hoffman met with media to clarify his various charges against the rules, governing bodies and PGA Tour. It’s quite a bizarre transcript.

While I realize we’re talking about someone who will never be confused as a former Oxford and Cambridge man, a few things become clear after reading Hoffman’s remarks. If you are paired with him, watch him like a hawk. And if this is the best the PGA Tour can do for its Policy Board when all bright hands are needed on deck, the future is not bright.

Q. Things often get sort of lost on social media, so I just wanted to ask what you really meant with the Instagram last night.

CHARLEY HOFFMAN: What I meant and what I said, I mean I think I explained it fairly well, but obviously not a huge fan of the USGA and how they govern us all the time.

“Govern us all the time.”

Those pesky rules always in place!

I was under the, or, under the impression that the rule had changed. And I was frustrated when the rule hadn't changed, why it hadn't changed and I think there's some sort of -- I mean obviously we have a PGA TOUR liaison that helps with the USGA and helps in figuring out what the rules should and shouldn't be.

Sounds like someone really doesn’t like playing by the rules.

And it just, it didn't make any sense at that point in time why that rule hadn't changed, especially this exact tournament when it happened to Rickie Fowler, he ended up winning the golf tournament, but it could have cost him the golf tournament.

But as -- and as I told the rules officials last night it's like, everybody says, We're going to change it for the better, we're going to do this and that, we're close or whatever but nothing seems to get done.

Just to be clear, Hoffman had more than one option, chose to drop in the difficult location and is now whining because his ball moved after he placed it. The rules were there to help him in multiple ways, as were the first and second opinions he called in. (The rules staff responded as detailed here.)

And unless you come out on a platform like I did it somewhat influences a change. That's what I meant by the rulings and everything else.

Yes you can really feel the groundswell.

Q. You wrote that you wonder why guys are looking to join another tour. Do you feel like a lack of accountability or a rules issue are why guys --

CHARLEY HOFFMAN: I think it's a whole, a whole -- everything. You got to look at yourself as a policy board member and look at your self in the face, as I said, what can I do better as a player director, what can the executive committee do, executive directors do better to make sure that we are the best tour in the world.

And if it's -- the PGA TOUR's rewarding us by using social media in their platforms now, but they don't like it when you don't say something that may not be up to their standard. But you're rewarded on it.

Apparently Charley missed the meetings where it was explained that attempts to get attention or negative publicity would not factor into the PIP. Must have been busy reading the Rules of Golf!

I'm by no means trying to win the Player Impact Program, but I wanted to get my point across that there's rules out there in the game of golf that should be changed.

Because Charley doesn’t like them and declined the safer option.

I had no -- I wasn't near the golf ball, I had no intent to hit at the golf ball and the ball moved after I dropped it twice and I have to put it down where the ball landed. I have no control over that, I turn my back and the ball goes in the water. How is that a rule that is good for the game of golf and how we play? I mean, not one person at a country club would have took another penalty for that, why is it, in professional golf, are we doing that? It's not the first time it's happened.

Charley should draw up some Rules his ownself. Really dig in to the literature, the plight of the PGA Tour pro and publish his version of the rules.

So you have to use what I have because obviously what we, what the players have said and our person that sits on their board and sits with them, it hasn't gotten through to them.

And I talked to the USGA last night and hopefully they got the point and hopefully it does change.

What a fun Friday night for that USGA official.

So hopefully a little bit of hard times for me going through this, probably going to catch a ton of crap, will make the game better and I hopefully the PGA TOUR and the policy board and everybody gets together and we keep everybody here and we play in the U.S. the best game of golf in the world and we have the best players play week-in and week-out here in the United States.

Nice recovery there. But uh…

Q. You made a pretty giant leap though going from this rules infraction to, you know --

CHARLEY HOFFMAN: Yes.

Q. -- players --

CHARLEY HOFFMAN: Strategically.

Q. Yeah?

CHARLEY HOFFMAN: I, if I just griped about a rule no one probably catches it. No one says anything.

Q. How much thought did you put in --

CHARLEY HOFFMAN: A decent amount. So I put a jab in there on purpose just so that the media would catch it.

So clever! What other kinds of bait and switch do you pull?

Q. And Jay Monahan's name too?

CHARLEY HOFFMAN: And Jay, yeah, it was "Sorry, Jay", that I was doing this, because I have a great relationship with Jay and I have nothing for admiration about what Jay does for this TOUR and how hard he works.

So it was a "Sorry, Jay" because I know he's going -- this isn't an easy time for the PGA TOUR. So that's why that "Sorry, Jay" that that's why I said we need to do better, we as player directors, as executive directors, commissioners, everybody, we need to do better to make sure we keep everybody here in the U.S.

With you on the case, I’ll take the Saudis and their silly oily money.

Q. You're one of the few players on the policy board. Is the system in place not working?

CHARLEY HOFFMAN: I think it works really good, but we have, we have a threat. I mean, that's real. I mean, you can't hide under a rock and say it's not.

And I, there's no way that I, it's ever crossed my mind to go over and play for a competitor and -- ever -- and it was never -- if it came across in that Instagram post that I have been reached by them, I have not been reached by them, it came across wrong. I added that so the media would catch it, so I would prove my point on the rules side.

What a chap!

Waste Management must be feeling so good about the endorsement deal. Because he really is a waste of a spot in the tournament.

OEM's Launch Latest AI-Infused Tungsten Cartridge Speed Frame Jailbreak Stealth Twistface Carbonwoods Guaranteed To Go Longer, Straighter

/

As we inch closer to a decision based on the Distance Insights Study, just about any decision will lead to from Carlsbad even as they stare at record profits, give little back to the charitable side of the game and account for maybe 10% over the overall golf “business”.

So with that inevitable sobbing to come, perhaps as soon as May, the January 4th launches by Taylormade and Callaway—with their partners at the independent media operations hoping they’ll buy ads—will be good to file away for safe keeping.

Traditionally when any form of rulemaking is discussed to keep certain skills and courses relevant, the manufacturers claim they’ve maxed out the technology. When they want your $600, the technology is breakthrough, stealth, AI infused and almost guaranteed to add distance and lower spin.

The various golf publications peddled it all as usual. There was this from a Taylormade engineer to keep in mind as they phase out Titanium for the next great innovation, speaking to Golf Digest’s Mike Stachura.

THE DEEP DIVE: The titanium face driver, the golf industry’s staple since the mid-1990s, has run its course. So says TaylorMade’s team of engineers who in fits and starts over the past 20 years have been pursuing something they say is not merely entirely different from titanium, but of course, fundamentally better. As Tomo Bystedt, TaylorMade’s senior director of product creation, puts it, referencing the famous “S Curve” for innovation, “We knew the S curve for Ti was ending and the S Curve for carbon-composite faces was beginning.”

Kind of like the bubble shaft! Until it wasn’t.

Look, these are good people who have to come up with something to differentiate their product. But the numbers also do not lie: the engineers are very good at what they do and know how to arm today’s elites with equipment they hit longer by just going on a launch monitor and testing.

So this spring when their bosses, only thinking of shareholder value, claim distance has peaked and how there’s nothing to see here, just remember January 4th’s claims and supporting coverage.

Even Tiger chimed in as part of launch day:

And Callaway has introduced a new Chrome Soft that you guessed it, goes longer even though the ball has hit its limit whenever the USGA and R&A are thought to be changing any equipment rules.

From Andrew Tursky at Golf.com, after explaining how Callaway studied its off-core Chrome Softs to make sure that doesn’t happen again. But there was this regarding the new Chrome Soft X:

So, Callaway listened. Without changing the spin profile at all, Callaway was able to increase driver ball speed by 0.7 mph due to the new core in the 2022 version.

And regarding the new and improved Chrome Soft X LS:

According to Callaway, the new Chrome Soft X LS increases driver speed by 0.8 mph, reduces driver spin by 130 rpm, and reduces iron spin by 120 rpm compared to the previous version.

Tom Watson: "Golf courses...have to adjust to the distance that guys hit it."

/

It’s a short list of people who have both designed courses and suggested it’s ok to ask courses to adjust to modern distances. Golf architects Rees Jones, Tom Fazio and Steve Smyers have all been ok with that notion, but I never expected Tom Watson to join that list. Especially since just three years ago he was saying the ball goes too far.

From his Q&A with Golfweek’s Adam Schupak:

When I designed golf courses, I first started at 250 was my turning point.  Then it became 267. Now it’s like 280 is the turning point, back tees on championship golf courses.

Again, golf courses I think have to adjust to the distance that guys hit it. I would think the wrong thing to do would be to make the golf ball go shorter. If they did, they ought to make it go shorter for everyone, you, me, Aunt Alice, everybody.

GW: You’re not a bifurcation guy?

TW: No.

Bad news Tom, we have two rules in place this week that spell b-i-f-u-r-c-a-t-i-o-n.

There was also this:

GW: Did you like the changes to the Rules of Golf?

TW: Yeah, very much. Yeah. Spike mark was the best one.

GW: How do you think your pal (former USGA President) Sandy Tatum would have thought of the changes?

TW: He would have thought it would be sensible.

For giggles I cracked open Mr. Tatum’s A Love Affair With The Game to double check that this is the same Sandy Tatum I’m pretty sure was a big “play it as it lies” guy.

Yep, same Sandy!

He called Winter Rules a pervasive intrusion on the “True Spirit” of the game and called the PGA Tour playing preferred lies “the most heinous departure from the true spirit of the playing of the game.”

Not feeling like he’d be a pro spike mark tapping guy in a game with few spikes and better conditioning than ever before.

"Green-reading changes for 2022 a step back for the game?"

/

John Wood makes many terrific points in his case that green reading books have advanced the game. Namely, that of all the things, we have this?

Infinitesimal improvements and differences that cannot be exclusively correlated to greens books. An improved knowledge base, Aimpoint, better coaching with drills and devices, better agronomy (read: smoother greens) have all contributed. Plus, in the last three years, players have been allowed to tap down spike marks, something that’s never been OK in the game’s history. For a statistical comparison, in 1996, Tour average for driving distance was 265.9 yards. Last year? 296.2. Hmm. If players have the power to, in effect, bifurcate the rules, which is what is happening, can they enact other Local Rules? Can they as a Tour decide the ball is going too far and the driver heads are too forgiving? Doubtful, because there’s a lot of money coming from those equipment companies … not a lot coming from Mark Long, maker of the greens books.

No argument on distance or picking lower hanging fruit. But besides all of the reasons they look bad to spectators and add more nonsense all around, they have also introduced another cost to an aspiring “player”. On top of rangefinders and now some form of launch monitor access, not to mention other costs to play, the pressure to buy green reading books or fall behind is not progress. Especially when statistics say they are not even significantly helping golfers make more putts.

Greens books are an advancement in the game, like forgiving drivers and balls that go forever, don’t curve and spin around the greens; like launch monitors, like distance/slope measuring devices. Why is the line drawn here? Why go backwards here? Say it’s agreeable and everyone shares the same feeling about their elimination. Why not announce the ban and give it a year like they did with the anchored putter? Players had a year to work on a new method they felt confident with when the rule was enacted. There is an entire generation on Tour that has never played a tournament without a greens book. Why not give everyone a year to adapt instead of a couple months?

Because people have read greens without them for a few centuries, for starters.

Also, anything that adds time and cost is not an advancement. And because no one ever took up the game or plays it because of green reading books.

As a bonus, they’re also creating precedent for more bifurcation. Wins all the way around!

Slugger On Norman Reaching Out To Manage Saudi Golf League's Rules

/

Ken Willis caught up with formerly-retired PGA Tour rules and competitions director Slugger White about his new role running that side of things for Greg Norman and the Kingdom’s ambitions in golf.

White said it came down to Norman’s outreach.

“Yeah it really is. I appreciated him reaching out to me and asking if I’d consider something like this,” Slugger says. “Thought about it long and hard. Shelly and I talked about it. She felt like it was a nice opportunity and nice of Greg to think about me and reach out. 

“Then I thought, you know what, this is something that I know, and it’s just a new chapter.”

“They’re concentrating on those 10 events on the Asian Tour right now, and that’s pretty much all I know,” Slugger says. “I’ll just wait for them to tell me where they want me to go.”