OT: Stupid Golfing Rules strikes again!

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Everyone knows in a bunker you cannot ground your club in the sand before hitting the ball. Abraham Ancer was penalized 2 strokes after his round because video reviews indicated that he indeed had his club touch the sand before striking his shot.

Ancer didn't report it and was penalized after. Did Ancer try to Patrick Reed and cheat? No. Did Ancer ground his club at the address? No. Did Ancer touch the sand elsewhere in the bunker to determine its depth? No. On the address, in his back swing, a mm of sand was ridged up from a raking and as he went into his back swing the club barely and lightly brushed that ridge.

Come on folks. The fact that you have geeks actually checking things like that is one thing. To apply something where it has absolutely no bearing and probably happens more times that we realize is ridiculous. It's a stupid interpretation of the rule. Stop this nonsense.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Everyone knows in a bunker you cannot ground your club in the sand before hitting the ball. Abraham Ancer was penalized 2 strokes after his round because video reviews indicated that he indeed had his club touch the sand before striking his shot.

Ancer didn't report it and was penalized after. Did Ancer try to Patrick Reed and cheat? No. Did Ancer ground his club at the address? No. Did Ancer touch the sand elsewhere in the bunker to determine its depth? No. On the address, in his back swing, a mm of sand was ridged up from a raking and as he went into his back swing the club barely and lightly brushed that ridge.

Come on folks. The fact that you have geeks actually checking things like that is one thing. To apply something where it has absolutely no bearing and probably happens more times that we realize is ridiculous. It's a stupid interpretation of the rule. Stop this nonsense.

Her name escapes me at the moment but the same thing happened to a woman on the LPGA within the last 5 years or so. There was a playoff in a major (think it was a US Open). Replay showed she moved a grain of sand or 2. It was caught before the round was over but still impacted the outcome.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Come on folks. The fact that you have geeks actually checking things like that is one thing.

Actually the PGA tour now employs someone to scrutinize the television coverage of tournaments explicitly to look for stuff like that.

But I agree, it's just as moronic whether it's the tour doing it or it's some yahoo calling in after they think they see something on television.

 

[Pitt1975]

It is the rule. Similar to a replay on a TD run where someone’s shoe grazes the sideline, and it’s called back.
Tough break, but sometimes sh!t happens.

 

[Burgh15]

As with other sports replay rules, if it is something that needs super slow motion, zoomed in, and multiple looks it shouldn’t be overturned. Replay should be for the blatantly obvious bad calls, not looking to find something.

 

[BTisinDC]

Everyone knows in a bunker you cannot ground your club in the sand before hitting the ball. Abraham Ancer was penalized 2 strokes after his round because video reviews indicated that he indeed had his club touch the sand before striking his shot.

Ancer didn't report it and was penalized after. Did Ancer try to Patrick Reed and cheat? No. Did Ancer ground his club at the address? No. Did Ancer touch the sand elsewhere in the bunker to determine its depth? No. On the address, in his back swing, a mm of sand was ridged up from a raking and as he went into his back swing the club barely and lightly brushed that ridge.

Come on folks. The fact that you have geeks actually checking things like that is one thing. To apply something where it has absolutely no bearing and probably happens more times that we realize is ridiculous. It's a stupid interpretation of the rule. Stop this nonsense.

How many grains of sand do you want to allow to be moved before the penalty kicks in?

 

[pittiswhereiamfrom2]

How many grains of sand do you want to allow to be moved before the penalty kicks in?

8

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

8

I approve of the specificity of this rule

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

How many grains of sand do you want to allow to be moved before the penalty kicks in?

You can hit sand as you strike the ball right? What the hell is the difference, what is the advantage gained by accidentally brushing a millimeter of a ridge of sand in your back swing. I understand at your address or probing the sand. But you start to move your club, I mean you don't want to intentionally hit sand and drag through on your back swing because that will likely screw up your swing.

So in this case, IMO, it should have been part of the swing. It gained him no advantage nor was it intentional.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

You can hit sand as you strike the ball right? What the hell is the difference, what is the advantage gained by accidentally brushing a millimeter of a ridge of sand in your back swing. I understand at your address or probing the sand. But you start to move your club, I mean you don't want to intentionally hit sand and drag through on your back swing because that will likely screw up your swing.

So in this case, IMO, it should have been part of the swing. It gained him no advantage nor was it intentional.

I don’t disagree about this being silly -
But - if your club touches the sand prior to downswing Contact it’s grounding

let’s say you have a fried egg lie
You hover - then as part of your backswing grounds and push back the sand behind the ball -
It’s gaining an advantage

now I’m not good enough golfer and think half the rule book is stupid - but even I can understand the slippery slope of ignoring it would create in bunkers

 

[wbrpanther]

Everyone knows in a bunker you cannot ground your club in the sand before hitting the ball. Abraham Ancer was penalized 2 strokes after his round because video reviews indicated that he indeed had his club touch the sand before striking his shot.

Ancer didn't report it and was penalized after. Did Ancer try to Patrick Reed and cheat? No. Did Ancer ground his club at the address? No. Did Ancer touch the sand elsewhere in the bunker to determine its depth? No. On the address, in his back swing, a mm of sand was ridged up from a raking and as he went into his back swing the club barely and lightly brushed that ridge.

Come on folks. The fact that you have geeks actually checking things like that is one thing. To apply something where it has absolutely no bearing and probably happens more times that we realize is ridiculous. It's a stupid interpretation of the rule. Stop this nonsense.

A stupid rule is still a rule. I don’t think they allow random callers to turn golfers in anymore.

 

[Duneaux Harm]

Everyone knows in a bunker you cannot ground your club in the sand before hitting the ball. Abraham Ancer was penalized 2 strokes after his round because video reviews indicated that he indeed had his club touch the sand before striking his shot.

Ancer didn't report it and was penalized after. Did Ancer try to Patrick Reed and cheat? No. Did Ancer ground his club at the address? No. Did Ancer touch the sand elsewhere in the bunker to determine its depth? No. On the address, in his back swing, a mm of sand was ridged up from a raking and as he went into his back swing the club barely and lightly brushed that ridge.

Come on folks. The fact that you have geeks actually checking things like that is one thing. To apply something where it has absolutely no bearing and probably happens more times that we realize is ridiculous. It's a stupid interpretation of the rule. Stop this nonsense.

From the subject line I really thought it was going to be a discussion of all the rules because golf is the most pretentious rule making entity ever. And it emboldens the really sucky players to whine about what you are doing when they couldn’t hit a shot to save their lives.

 

[BTisinDC]

I don’t disagree about this being silly -
But - if your club touches the sand prior to downswing Contact it’s grounding

let’s say you have a fried egg lie
You hover - then as part of your backswing grounds and push back the sand behind the ball -
It’s gaining an advantage

now I’m not good enough golfer and think half the rule book is stupid - but even I can understand the slippery slope of ignoring it would create in bunkers

Exactly.

 

[pittdan77]

Sand? I can’t even get past the stupid windmill!

 

[USN_Panther]

Everyone knows in a bunker you cannot ground your club in the sand before hitting the ball. Abraham Ancer was penalized 2 strokes after his round because video reviews indicated that he indeed had his club touch the sand before striking his shot.

Ancer didn't report it and was penalized after. Did Ancer try to Patrick Reed and cheat? No. Did Ancer ground his club at the address? No. Did Ancer touch the sand elsewhere in the bunker to determine its depth? No. On the address, in his back swing, a mm of sand was ridged up from a raking and as he went into his back swing the club barely and lightly brushed that ridge.

Come on folks. The fact that you have geeks actually checking things like that is one thing. To apply something where it has absolutely no bearing and probably happens more times that we realize is ridiculous. It's a stupid interpretation of the rule. Stop this nonsense.

I'll admit, not a fan of golf. I have never watched it on TV, and hopefully never will. So my apologies in advance if I don't fully understand what happened here. My knowledge of golf ends at Happy Gilmore. In true Pantherlair fashion, I will not allow complete ignorance to prevent me from commenting on the topic.

If he was assessed an additional penalty for not reporting it, and it required others to review video to detect the infraction, then all shots need to be able to be viewed on replay by the player. Should only take 10 extra minutes per shot.

But still, I just do not understand what would be fun about hitting a little ball with a stick into a hole in the centre of a manicured patch of grass. Now hitting a hard rubber disk with sticks into a net placed on ice while wearing skates makes perfect sense to me. To each their own, I reckon.

 

[BTisinDC]

I'll admit, not a fan of golf. I have never watched it on TV, and hopefully never will. So my apologies in advance if I don't fully understand what happened here. My knowledge of golf ends at Happy Gilmore. In true Pantherlair fashion, I will not allow complete ignorance to prevent me from commenting on the topic.

If he was assessed an additional penalty for not reporting it, and it required others to review video to detect the infraction, then all shots need to be able to be viewed on replay by the player. Should only take 10 extra minutes per shot.

But still, I just do not understand what would be fun about hitting a little ball with a stick into a hole in the centre of a manicured patch of grass. Now hitting a hard rubber disk with sticks into a net placed on ice while wearing skates makes perfect sense to me. To each their own, I reckon.

I like both, but it occurs to me that in golf they have rules they follow pretty much to a t, in hockey they have rules that are ignored.

 

[USN_Panther]

I like both, but it occurs to me that in golf they have rules they follow pretty much to a t, in hockey they have rules that are ignored.

 

[NTOP]

How many grains of sand do you want to allow to be moved before the penalty kicks in?

Teaspoon

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

Still not as stupid as the “dropped third strike, run to first base” rule in baseball.

 

[pbrad]

Dustin Johnson lost a major when he grounded his club on pine straw that golfers were told before the tournament was actually a sand trap.

 

[Joe Magarac]

I'll admit, not a fan of golf. I have never watched it on TV, and hopefully never will. So my apologies in advance if I don't fully understand what happened here. My knowledge of golf ends at Happy Gilmore. In true Pantherlair fashion, I will not allow complete ignorance to prevent me from commenting on the topic.

If he was assessed an additional penalty for not reporting it, and it required others to review video to detect the infraction, then all shots need to be able to be viewed on replay by the player. Should only take 10 extra minutes per shot.

But still, I just do not understand what would be fun about hitting a little ball with a stick into a hole in the centre of a manicured patch of grass. Now hitting a hard rubber disk with sticks into a net placed on ice while wearing skates makes perfect sense to me. To each their own, I reckon.

Hockey....... All activity, Very, very, very little results. Same with soccer. Hockey and soccer are the same sport played on different surfaces.

 

[BTisinDC]

Still not as stupid as the “dropped third strike, run to first base” rule in baseball.

Why is that stupid? It’s the same as an outfielder dropping a fly ball.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

Golf is only for those individuals for whom "relaxed concentration" is possible. Gave up the game years ago for that reason. Being relaxed and concentated (i.e., focused) are polar opposites for me. Like Mark Twain I came to the relaization that (for me) golf eas "a nice walk spoiled."

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Golf is only for those individuals for whom "relaxed concentration" is possible. Gave up the game years ago for that reason. Being relaxed and concentated (i.e., focused) are polar opposites for me. Like Mark Twain I came to the relaization that (for me) golf eas "a nice walk spoiled."

I do the relaxed part fine
But the concentrated part is why I’m a bogey golfer

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Still not as stupid as the “dropped third strike, run to first base” rule in baseball.

Or fumble the ball out of bounds, team fumbling retains possession at that spot. Fumble the ball through the end zone, opposing team gets the ball on the 20.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

Why is that stupid? It’s the same as an outfielder dropping a fly ball.

It is not the same at all. The batter never put the ball in play. The pitcher already got 3 strikes on the batter. If the catcher drops ball 4 can he throw down to 1st to get an out? No. If a fielder drops a foul ball can the batter run down to 1st? No. It’s stupid.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

It is not the same at all.

Well the theory is that a player can't be "put out" unless a fielder has possession of the ball. If you look at it in that light then it actually is the same.

I mean it's an odd way to look at it, but it's also been that way for, like, 150 years, so there is that.

 

[USN_Panther]

Well the theory is that a player can't be "put out" unless a fielder has possession of the ball. If you look at it in that light then it actually is the same.

I mean it's an odd way to look at it, but it's also been that way for, like, 150 years, so there is that.

Infield fly rule is dumb too.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Infield fly rule is dumb too.

The infield fly rule is absolutely a good idea, because without it any time a team had runners on first and second or the bases loaded and zero or one outs a pop up on the infield would be an almost automatic double or triple play.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Well the theory is that a player can't be "put out" unless a fielder has possession of the ball. If you look at it in that light then it actually is the same.

As an addendum, that's the reason why on a "regular" strikeout the catcher gets credit for a putout. He was the guy who had the ball when the out was made.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

As an addendum, that's the reason why on a "regular" strikeout the catcher gets credit for a putout. He was the guy who had the ball when the out was made.

That is a good point I guess. I just always thought it was odd that the batter never had to put the ball in play, draw a walk or be hit and he could get on. By failing at bat.

 

[USN_Panther]

The infield fly rule is absolutely a good idea, because without it any time a team had runners on first and second or the bases loaded and zero or one outs a pop up on the infield would be an almost automatic double or triple play.

Don't hit a fly ball to the infield then. Why not an infield ground ball rule? Those end up in double and triple plays too.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

Don't hit a fly ball to the infield then. Why not an infield ground ball rule? Those end up in double and triple plays too.

If only it were as simple as “hit it where they ain’t”, right? Infield ground balls don’t have the potential for a fly out, so the runners have to run. Infield fly balls do, so the runners have to chose between the field purposely dropping a fly, picking it up to step on the bag and throwing to another base for a force, or running into a double play by getting doubled off.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

Practice swings in the bunker would be a huge issue for pace of play. The amount of sand taken out of a bunker would need full time grounds keepers at all traps.

 

[BTisinDC]

It is not the same at all. The batter never put the ball in play. The pitcher already got 3 strikes on the batter. If the catcher drops ball 4 can he throw down to 1st to get an out? No. If a fielder drops a foul ball can the batter run down to 1st? No. It’s stupid.

Why does the batter have to put the ball in play? Bad analogy. The ball is in play. Should runners have to freeze on a wild pitch too?

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

Why does the batter have to put the ball in play? Bad analogy. The ball is in play. Should runners have to freeze on a wild pitch too?

Great point. So can the batter run to first on a 2-0 wild pitch?

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

On the golfing note. Matsuyama was a matter of when, not if, in regards to winning a major. Probably not the most exciting victory, and especially when Schauffle put his tee shot in the pond at 16, it was over.

 

[BTisinDC]

Great point. So can the batter run to first on a 2-0 wild pitch?

Now that would be a stupid rule. 🤭

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

Now that would be a stupid rule. 🤭

Agreed! I think it’s stupid after a third strike as well.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

All of these rules questions remind me of the old joke about what the Scotsman calls a mulligan:

Lying three.