2016 Wells Fargo Championship Discussion Thread

[boogielicious]

Adding insult to injury.

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/blair-hits-himself-head-putter-gets-dqd/

Quote

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Zac Blair was disqualified on Friday for using a non-conforming club at the Wells Fargo Championship.

After missing a birdie putt on the par-5 fifth hole, Blair hit himself in the head with his putter and bent it. He putted out for par on the hole and played the next before being informed by officials he’d violated Rule 4-3b.

Blair was 4 over par when he was disqualified and was in danger of missing the cut.

Blair poked fun at himself after his DQ, tweeting out this gif of Woody Austin, who also whacked himself in the head with his putter in 1997 at Hilton Head. He also issued a statement explaining what happened.

 

[pumaAttack]

4 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Someone threw a ball with an earplug attached at McIlroy? Weird.

http://golfweek.com/quick_shot/pga-tour-rory-mcilroy-rickie-fowler-fan-golf-ball-earplug/

I, for one, would love it if somebody thought of me and threw a golfball with an earplug on it at me. 

 

[nevets88]

Tony Finau off the tee

Surprised this doesn't happen more often, dash to the ball, knock the ball away.

 

[newtogolf]

2 hours ago, boogielicious said:

Adding insult to injury.

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/blair-hits-himself-head-putter-gets-dqd/

 

He whacked himself in the head pretty hard a few times and really bent the shaft.  

[nevets88]

McIlroy -4 last 4 holes.

[pumaAttack]

1 hour ago, newtogolf said:

He whacked himself in the head pretty hard a few times and really bent the shaft.  

Why would he be disqualified for using a bent putter...

How did that "help" him or give him an unfair advantage.  Seems like a silly rule.

[sarena1594]

Only had time to watch a few holes today, but from what I've seen, the greens look so slick.  I saw one hole where Rory merely tapped it from the fringe and the ball rolled 40 feet.

[iacas]

1 hour ago, pumaAttack said:

Why would he be disqualified for using a bent putter...

How did that "help" him or give him an unfair advantage.  Seems like a silly rule.

Because it was not bent during the course of play. Thus, he played with non-conforming equipment.

A single application of the rule does not make a rule "silly." If you remove that rule, you could have people intentionally altering how their clubs play. Or playing with non-conforming clubs from the start.

[pumaAttack]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

Because it was not bent during the course of play. Thus, he played with non-conforming equipment.

A single application of the rule does not make a rule "silly." If you remove that rule, you could have people intentionally altering how their clubs play. Or playing with non-conforming clubs from the start.

But what was the advantage he gained?  The bend in his putter allowed him to make the par putt?

Was it really worth a DQ?   Why not just a 2 stroke penalty, which I think even that is harsh.  

[Chilli Dipper]

4 minutes ago, pumaAttack said:

But what was the advantage he gained?  The bend in his putter allowed him to make the par putt?

Was it really worth a DQ?   Why not just a 2 stroke penalty, which I think even that is harsh.  

The rule exists so that a player cannot alter the characteristics of his club in an advantageous way on the course while claiming it was an accident; the penalty is a just one. The player at the PGA Tour level should be expected to know the rules, simple as that.

[pumaAttack]

1 hour ago, Chilli Dipper said:

The rule exists so that a player cannot alter the characteristics of his club in an advantageous way on the course while claiming it was an accident; the penalty is a just one. The player at the PGA Tour level should be expected to know the rules, simple as that.

How can a player alter the club to be advantageous?  That's the part I don't get. 

What characteristics can you change?! A bent putter provides what over a non bent one?

[Chilli Dipper]

9 minutes ago, pumaAttack said:

How can a player alter the club to be advantageous?  That's the part I don't get. 

What characteristics can you change?! A bent putter provides what over a non bent one?

Not my balliwick, but the fact there's a rule against it (with such a harsh penalty) means there have been more than a few people who have tried to get away with it.

The point remains the same: he's a professional, and he should know the rules, or at least check with an official for a ruling.

[iacas]

1 hour ago, pumaAttack said:

But what was the advantage he gained?

One doesn't need to prove an advantage was gained. A non-conforming club is a non-conforming club.

The rule was broken. It's that simple. There's no need to prove an "advantage" was gained.

1 hour ago, pumaAttack said:

Was it really worth a DQ?

Yes.

[pumaAttack]

So basically nobody can answer me...

There is no advantage and nobody can cite what enhancements this makes over a standard club.   

Its a silly rule that in practice makes no sense.  Him tapping in a putt with a slightly bent putter is a ridiculous reason for a DQ.  

Just because there is an overly vague rule about an altered club doesn't mean it should apply in all cases. 

The rule even says "purposely" 

Quote

 Any part of a club that has been purposely altered is regarded as new and must, in its altered state, conform with the Rules.

I'd love to hear how he purposely altered the club by smacking his head.  "Just one more whack and I'll be able to sink this next putt no problem!"  

And how did they determine it wasn't conforming anyway?!  Putters have all sorts of weird setups. 

 

Even rule 4-2 doesn't cover this...

Quote

the playing characteristics of a club must not be purposely changed by adjustment or by any other means.

How is a bent putter changing its characteristics?  I can see how bending an iron or wedge would.   Or more likely altering the head shape of a driver.  

But a putter... Where there are hundreds of styles and lengths and head shapes and hosel placements.... One bent shaft is not changing a putters characteristics. 

Edited May 7, 2016 by pumaAttack

[Chilli Dipper]

39 minutes ago, pumaAttack said:

So basically nobody can answer me...

There is no advantage and nobody can cite what enhancements this makes over a standard club.   

Its a silly rule that in practice makes no sense.  Him tapping in a putt with a slightly bent putter is a ridiculous reason for a DQ.  

Just because there is an overly vague rule about an altered club doesn't mean it should apply in all cases. 

The rule even says "purposely" 

I'd love to hear how he purposely altered the club by smacking his head.  "Just one more whack and I'll be able to sink this next putt no problem!"  

And how did they determine it wasn't conforming anyway?!  Putters have all sorts of weird setups. 

 

Even rule 4-2 doesn't cover this...

How is a bent putter changing its characteristics?  I can see how bending an iron or wedge would.   Or more likely altering the head shape of a driver.  

But a putter... Where there are hundreds of styles and lengths and head shapes and hosel placements.... One bent shaft is not changing a putters characteristics. 

A player is pushing all of his putts to the right in a round. He "accidentally" bends the shaft of his putter against a tree, and the clubface incidentally is now shut by a few degrees. With the putter's alignment altered, player makes more ten-footers on the remaining holes.

Furthermore, you're trying to argue that the putter should be treated differently than other clubs, for which I don't believe there is a precedent in the Rules of Golf. There is a rule stating that clubs cannot have bent shafts; incidentally, that rule stems from a controversy over an early model of PING putter that was argued to give players an unfair advantage in lining up a putt.

[pumaAttack]

12 minutes ago, Chilli Dipper said:

A player is pushing all of his putts to the right in a round. He "accidentally" bends the shaft of his putter against a tree, and the clubface incidentally is now shut by a few degrees. With the putter's alignment altered, player makes more ten-footers on the remaining holes.

That would be "Purposely" by definition. Hitting your club on your head in anger is not purposely changing the clubface...

The rule is set up by the words they chose to allow an incident like this.  Instead they DQ him for it... Blown call 

 

 

 

[Chilli Dipper]

23 minutes ago, pumaAttack said:

That would be "Purposely" by definition. Hitting your club on your head in anger is not purposely changing the clubface...

The rule is set up by the words they chose to allow an incident like this.  Instead they DQ him for it... Blown call 

 

 

 

If the rule wasn't absolute, players would have free rein to twist their clubs in any way they wish, while hiding behind the plausibility of the alterations being unintentional.

The bottom line is: know the rules, take care of your equipment, and don't lose your temper by beating yourself upside the head with your putter.

[pumaAttack]

8 minutes ago, Chilli Dipper said:

If the rule wasn't absolute, players would have free rein to twist their clubs in any way they wish, while hiding behind the plausibility of the alterations being unintentional.

The bottom line is: know the rules, take care of your equipment, and don't lose your temper by beating yourself upside the head with your putter.

Disagree.  

There is a difference between intent with a purpose and an accident.  For the rule to cover both the same is ludicrous.