Did Kevin Na balk?

[mvmac]

In case anyone missed it yesterday, here is the "swing" of Na's on 15 tee during the 3rd round

This did not result in a penalty, the decision says, “The player is considered to have checked his downswing voluntarily by altering the path of his downswing and missing the ball even though the swing carried the club head beyond the ball. If the player had not successfully checked his downswing (i.e., he had struck the ball), he is considered to have made a stroke.”

http://progolftalk.nbcsports.com/2011/10/02/odd-rules-decision-cleared-na-from-penalty-for-vegas-whiff/

Afterwards on the coverage, Tommy Gainey made a comment that "it sure looked like a swing to me".

Na said he felt like he was going to hook it and intentionally missed.  "I'll take it back ... it feels decent, and my transition is what I'm always working on," Na said after his round. "It's always my bad habit is I get quick. And on the way down my transition doesn't feel right, and I try to stop, and obviously it's impossible for me to stop. The only way for me to stop is I have to come up and go over the ball."

It's clear this is within the rules of golf and he obviously didn't "wiff" it, but I don't think it fits within the spirit of the game.  I don't normally use that term but for me it applies here.  If he doesn't have intent, why take the club back? or initiate the downswing?  When Tiger would "check" his swing there was an external distraction, a bug or a distraction from the crowd.  I'm fine with that.

[Shorty]

I've never seen that before. Amazing.

That must be why they were saying that he's someone that other players don't like playing with today.

I wish there was a 2 shot penalty every time a caddy "lined up" his player.

It's the lamest look in professional golf, in my opinion.

[iacas]

I don't think that violates the "spirit" of the game. It's a professional golfer clearly whiffing by a mile. It's virtually no different than golfers setting the club behind a chip or pitch shot, taking a backswing, and then swinging a few inches inside the golf ball as a practice stroke. He clearly isn't trying to hit the golf ball, and only in the definition of a stroke does "intent" matter in the Rules of Golf.

Paula Creamer a year or two ago (yep, here it is ) checked her swing but still hit the golf ball and it was ruled that she could re-tee.

Source: Definition
A "stroke" is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.

The definition doesn't say you have to STOP the clubhead before it reaches the ball, just that you have to "check" your swing. Kevin Na clearly does this, and in fact, we have Decision 14/1.5:

14/1.5: Intent to Strike Ball Ceases During Downswing; Club Not Stopped But Path of Clubhead Altered to Avoid Striking Ball

Q. A player begins his downswing with the intention of striking the ball but decides during the downswing not to strike the ball. The player is unable to stop the club before it reaches the ball, but he is able to swing intentionally over the top of the ball. Is the player deemed to have made a stroke?

A. No. The player is considered to have checked his downswing voluntarily by altering the path of his downswing and missing the ball even though the swing carried the clubhead beyond the ball.

That sets the precedent that "checking" is not a synonym for "stopping."

And frankly, it's probably wiser to do what Kevin Na did than what Tiger does, which may very well injure some golfers if they try to pull that off.

[GJBenn85]

Probably more to do with how slow he plays.

I am a little surprised by the rules concerning such a shot.  It sure looked like he fully intended to hit the ball to me.

Originally Posted by Shorty

That must be why they were saying that he's someone that other players don't like playing with today.

[jmanbooyaa]

I think he is guilty because he forced the answer to the camera crew because he knew he would be asked. It looked like he did swing but I can see his argument. Weird play either way.

[jamo]

Whether or not he broke the rules or whether or not the rules should be changed are two different arguments. I think it's pretty clear he was within the rules.

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by iacas

Paula Creamer a year or two ago (yep, here it is) checked her swing but still hit the golf ball and it was ruled that she could re-tee.

And interestingly, Na in his interview stated a rules official had told him if he hit the ball during one of those checked swings, he would be penalized. Either there was some miscommunication between the two, or one of these ROs (either the one in Na's case or the one in Creamer's case) is wrong.

[MacBooky]

from his Facebook page:

Quote:

everyone is talking about the swing i made on 15 tee. it is not a "wiff." my intention is NOT to hit the ball. with the speed coming down i can not stop the swing and the only thing i can do is to pull up. which make me swing over the top of the ball. i've done this many times playing on the PGA TOUR and the officials are aware of my habits. i even had rules officials come tell me that i can keep doing this and it'll not be a problem. i also learned today from rules official Jon Brendel that if i do make contact with the ball but intention was NOT to hit it. it will not count.

It just looked extremely odd and took most of us by surprise I guess .... that boy has demos spooking around his head. But it has to be said, going out the next day and shooting −6 to win it shows some character, congrats in place!

[sacm3bill]

i also learned today from rules official Jon Brendel that if i do make contact with the ball but intention was NOT to hit it. it will not count.

Hmm, ok then... maybe Na misspoke in the interview I heard, or I heard it wrong.

[TheGeekGolfer]

[QUOTE]Quote: i also learned today from rules official Jon Brendel that if i do make contact with the ball but intention was NOT to hit it. it will not count. [/QUOTE] The part quoted above, that "it will not count", only applies to the TEE SHOT. If you do it after the ball is in play and you accidentally cause the ball to move, your stroke may not count, buy you will still be assessed a penalty stroke. That's how I understand things, but I've been wrong, before ;-)

[DFerlmann]

If you have been watching Kevin Na before that shot you would see that if he did not feel the swing was right he would stop. that is what he did in his swing, he was not trying to hit the ball. Also you would think that if you are in the PGA you would never ever miss the ball, even on the toughest shots.

[SVTGolfer]

Na is a douche…