Thoughts on Rickie Fowler and The Masters' tradition?

[uttexas]

I was raised to remove any hat when going indoors, but wearing a hat backwards or frontwards doesn't offend me.  I suspect that Fowler has been prompted to wear his hats backwards as much as he can for marketing purposes (see big logo at the back of his hat).  I'm sure PUMA is jumping for joy that the media making a big deal about his headwear.  As far as Augusta's or any private club's policy, when in Rome do as the Romans do.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by uttexas

I was raised to remove any hat when going indoors, but wearing a hat backwards or frontwards doesn't offend me.  I suspect that Fowler has been prompted to wear his hats backwards as much as he can for marketing purposes (see big logo at the back of his hat).  I'm sure PUMA is jumping for joy that the media making a big deal about his headwear.  As far as Augusta's or any private club's policy, when in Rome do as the Romans do.

Sure throw common sense into the equation - Debbie Downer.

Please direct me to the vomitorium!

[ohiolefty]

I'm going to belabor points here made previously...

Yes, Augusta National is a private club. But, as much as they're in self-righteous denial about it, they host a PGA event that is, thusly, public as it is broadcasted to the public who aren't 'fortunate' enough to be patrons and overpay for cheap golf hats and get the runs from cheese sandwiches.

Therefore, their attitude towards social issues continues to be laughable at best - but, mostly, repugnant. Rickie Fowler can show up, help benefit the club financially, but cannot wear what he wants in the way that he wants. In fact, if Rickie Fowler wasn't a member of the right social circle, or super rich, he'd never have a sniff at membership or ever getting ON the place if he wasn't good enough to play in the tournament on his own merits as a golf professional. This is upwards of 90% of the field by the way. Not many members or patrons that look like Vijay Singh, or come from Rickie's background. Follow?

I love the Masters as a golf competition. I try to think of it in that vacuum because doing otherwise makes it hard for me to watch the tournament. This incident, however it occured, is just another example about what, plainly, sucks about Augusta.

Maybe if they'd stop being self-righteous a$$holes that reinforce every stereotype of the hostile WASPy white male American, they'd truly have the 'global reach' that their rhetoric and public personna so desperately reach for.

It'd be a lot better than putting the course into a f**king video game, wouldn't it?

[ilikefishes]

 

If the Augustan Powers-That-Be were true sticklers for cultured conduct they would require that all gentlemen remove their hats when indoors.

I 100% agree with you.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by ohiolefty

I'm going to belabor points here made previously...

Yes, Augusta National is a private club. But, as much as they're in self-righteous denial about it, they host a PGA event that is, thusly, public as it is broadcasted to the public who aren't 'fortunate' enough to be patrons and overpay for cheap golf hats and get the runs from cheese sandwiches.

Not really.  They don't host a PGA Tour event.  They hold a tournament to which they invite a number of PGA Tour players.  They also invite European and Asian Tour players, Amateurs, etc. Augusta National runs the tournament.  The PGA Tour has no more than a minor role at most.   They may supply some Rules officials, and perhaps some assistance with the technical aspects of running a modern event.  But ANGC controls every aspect of the tournament, from who they invite, to who they deny invitations to.  They decide who is grouped with whom, when they start, what local rules will be in place, etc.  Just like the US Open is not a PGA Tour event, it is a USGA chanpionship, run by the USGA; and the British Open is run by the R&A; of St. Andrews, not by the European Tour.

[golf4fun12]

I would love to see him win the tourney and see the smiles on masters officials faces. probably be thinking, "crap, now we have reward this guy"

I think since it is an interview, it shouldn't matter.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by jamo

By who? That'd be just downright a pointless waste of time. When did being a pro golfer lose you the right to wear your hat the way you want it to a basketball game? (I hope that doesn't come off as criticizing you, turtleback.)

Since I wasn't the one criticizing Tiger I didn't think you were criticizing me, so no worries.

As to who?  Many many people on both rec.sport.golf and The Golf Channel discussion boards.

[trickymicky69]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Gotta say I love it.  These kids sometimes need to learn that although the world may be their oyster, Augusta National is a world apart.  Maybe it's just a lesson in growing up - sometimes you simply have to go along with rules you may not agree with.  Just about everyone discovers this at one time or another in their lives.

You are spot on. If they don't like it, they can opt to play somewhere else.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by golf4fun12

I would love to see him win the tourney and see the smiles on masters officials faces. probably be thinking, "crap, now we have reward this guy"

I think since it is an interview, it shouldn't matter.

Don't be ridiculous. They would love nothing more than to see an exciting you player like Fowler win.

And, remember that it was Palmer who last year made a "big deal" about some of the younger guys wearing their hats indoors.

It;s a sponsorship thing, and the players have contractual obligations, which can be a little confusing, when lined up against the notiomn of "good manners".

[ohiolefty]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Not really.  They don't host a PGA Tour event.  They hold a tournament to which they invite a number of PGA Tour players.  They also invite European and Asian Tour players, Amateurs, etc. Augusta National runs the tournament.  The PGA Tour has no more than a minor role at most.   They may supply some Rules officials, and perhaps some assistance with the technical aspects of running a modern event.  But ANGC controls every aspect of the tournament, from who they invite, to who they deny invitations to.  They decide who is grouped with whom, when they start, what local rules will be in place, etc.  Just like the US Open is not a PGA Tour event, it is a USGA chanpionship, run by the USGA; and the British Open is run by the R&A; of St. Andrews, not by the European Tour.

A semantic argument, essentially. The fact remains, as it does in all those events which are planned by the governing bodies (of which, the equivocation of Augusta to the PGA or R&A; is laughable, especially in the case of the R&A;) named, that the events are major, public events. Period. Inarguable.

If I were involved with Augusta, the thing I'd be most leery of is it's pre-Jim Crow aesthetic. A video game is nice. But a more important initiative would be to open the club up socially. Thus, you don't need some d*ckhead telling a kid who's making said d*ckhead's club a ton of money...to turn his cap around. Rickie Fowler isn't a member - as I said above, Rickie couldn't even PLAY Augusta, let alone be a member, if he wasn't good enough to make it into the tournament as a player. And herein lies the entire issue - backwards caps, several now-unspoken "-isms", falsely inflated self-importance; all of them radiate in all their glory between the beautiful trees, flowers, fairways and greens.

[golf4fun12]

Originally Posted by Shorty

Don't be ridiculous. They would love nothing more than to see an exciting you player like Fowler win.

And, remember that it was Palmer who last year made a "big deal" about some of the younger guys wearing their hats indoors.

It;s a sponsorship thing, and the players have contractual obligations, which can be a little confusing, when lined up against the notiomn of "good manners".

Yeah, I guess. I completely forgot about what Palmer had said about the hat indoors.

[royal oak]

I'm from the school of "when in Rome"....I don't think it was very appropriate for the Augusta official to just grab "little Rickies" hat and turn it around for him....he could have just asked him to remove it politely.

I think Rickie would have complied.

[injury]

Originally Posted by zeg

Plus, although it's hard to tell quite what the actual interaction was like, as described I think the wrong of condescendingly adjusting someone else's clothing far outweighs that of the hat itself.  The gentlemanly thing to do is to treat an adult like an adult and politely ask him to comply with the dress code.  I hope things were lighter-hearted than they came across in the description...

That's what I took from it too. One thing to ask quite another to reach up and spin his hat around like he's your kid. If that's how it occured I'll say Ricky has more composure than I would have had in that situation.

[LBlack14]

should i show them my "Kill Whitey" tattoo?

I wanna see!

[Bigtank]

BTW they have a no backwards hat policy... In fact they have a no hats in the clubhouse rule.  I think during tournament week they lit that slide a little, especially around the locker room facilities.  But Once fowler was about to "represent" the club and the tournament to the media, they were sure to enforce the rules.  Just like they spoke to Tiger on several occasions about the language on the course and it was just a public.

Also, Mr. Townsend asked him to turn it around, he did not touch him. They are sticklers for tradition, but you also must understand that most of the members are almost 80 and they come from a different time.  If you want to have the privilege of playing in their tournament then you must abide by their rules...simple as that.  Yes the club makes money of the tournament, in fact they make ALOT of money of the tournament.  However the members don’t get one dime out of it.  And the video game someone referred to, 100% of the revenue from that game has gone to the first tee and several other junior golf programs.

As far as the racial makeup of the membership that someone referred to....there are African American members, there are Jewish members.  There are not any ladies, but it is a Men's club, and therefore they don’t admit women to the membership.  Just as though it were the Junior League of Augusta or the Augusta Women’s Club...

I think there are too many people that are jealous and bitter about the haves....they must always knock them at any chance they get.

[Shindig]

Originally Posted by ohiolefty

A semantic argument, essentially. The fact remains, as it does in all those events which are planned by the governing bodies (of which, the equivocation of Augusta to the PGA or R&A; is laughable, especially in the case of the R&A;) named, that the events are major, public events. Period. Inarguable.

If I were involved with Augusta, the thing I'd be most leery of is it's pre-Jim Crow aesthetic. A video game is nice. But a more important initiative would be to open the club up socially. Thus, you don't need some d*ckhead telling a kid who's making said d*ckhead's club a ton of money...to turn his cap around. Rickie Fowler isn't a member - as I said above, Rickie couldn't even PLAY Augusta, let alone be a member, if he wasn't good enough to make it into the tournament as a player. And herein lies the entire issue - backwards caps, several now-unspoken "-isms", falsely inflated self-importance; all of them radiate in all their glory between the beautiful trees, flowers, fairways and greens.

It isn't semantic - there are very few governing bodies in golf.  Augusta National is one of them.  They might not write the rules book, but they do manage many parts of the higher levels of the sport.   And Rickie isn't making Augusta a ton of money - the Masters isn't some huge money maker by any stretch of the imagination, and Rickie's presence or absence doesn't affect whatever they do or don't make.

And while we're on the topic of manners, can you watch your language?  I'm pretty sure you didn't mean to imply that the official was wearing a duck instead of a hat, and the asterisk doesn't change that.

Originally Posted by Bigtank

As far as the racial makeup of the membership that someone referred to....there are African American members, there are Jewish members.  There are not any ladies, but it is a Men's club, and therefore they don’t admit women to the membership.  Just as though it were the Junior League of Augusta or the Augusta Women’s Club...

I think there are too many people that are jealous and bitter about the haves....they must always knock them at any chance they get.

Actually, that part about no female members may or may not still be the case.  We don't have a members list, and I don't think there's ever been a credible claim that they exclude women as a matter of policy.  It has also been widely speculated that former Secretary of State Rice, an African-American woman, has joined the club.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Originally Posted by lumpuckeroo

Well put, there is a time and a place for everything, maturity is knowing when and where!

I would say the above in regard to the a**hole who took off Fowler's cap.

The security guards at Augusta, I've heard and read, are nothing short of thugs. I guess they get their direction from the top.

Disgraceful.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

I would say the above in regard to the a**hole who took off Fowler's cap.

The security guards at Augusta, I've heard and read, are nothing short of thugs. I guess they get their direction from the top.

Disgraceful.

You should punish them by never going there, never watching their tournament, and never playing their course.  That will show them.