The mere mortals among us who do it on the golf course while looking for an idea of how far we should shoot the green have adopted the use of the distance measuring device for years.
Golf governing bodies made them legal in 2014, which meant those who wanted to adhere to the letter of the law could use rangefinders, post scores for the disabled, and play with them at various amateur events.
But a local rule was also attached, which allowed any tournament committee to ban its use in this competition. Therefore, they have never been allowed to participate in the different professional tours or in the main championships.
The PGA of America last week came out of this box and announced that it would allow devices in its three major championships: the PGA Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA and the Senior Kitchen Aid PGA. President Jim Richerson noted that the organization hopes to “improve the flow of play” by allowing players easy access to the obtained gardens by orienting the device towards a flag bar and quickly obtaining a number.
This surprised those involved in the higher levels of the game.
“It’s so frustrating that they never asked those who know best what we think,” said veteran caddy Paul Tesori, who works for Webb Simpson. “I really don’t think it will speed up the game even for a minute.”
“In a normal hole, I will still have the front [of the green] number, transport number, how many left or right and how many meters behind the pin. The last number we would get is the pin. What happens then if the rangefinder is more than a meter away? Now we have to redo all the other numbers to fit what we are trying to do with the shot. “
A long-time caddy who didn’t want to identify himself: “I’m against 100%. I think at the PGA championship level, the optics are bad. In my opinion, it will allow the caddies not to prepare as well as some others the ability to catch up.
“I also think at this level it won’t speed up the game much, if it isn’t. Most guys want multiple numbers.”
The use of distance measuring devices makes sense at other levels of play, especially when cadets are not required or used. The American fan, for example, allows them to. But not the US Open. In fact, no major professional tour or major championship allows the devices, with the PGA of America not being achieved.
Another longtime caddy, Kip Henley, said the only real benefit would be in rare cases, such as at the 2017 Open, when Jordan Spieth was so offline after a shot in the 13th. Royal Birkdale’s hole getting an exact garden was a guess.
“She was damned [by Spieth’s caddie Michael Greller], but 30 caddies would have had 30 different numbers in that shot, “Henley said.” I understand it will speed up the game on shots as well, but only minimally. From the fairway, the player will still want the previous numbers and the laser won’t give you … eyes “.
The funny thing about the decision is that it was hardly a top-notch issue. No one claimed it. And while the PGA of America and the PGA Tour have improved their relationship in recent years and worked together in many ways, the latter has no plans to run away from the local norm soon.
In 2017, the tour tested the devices at four Korn Ferry events.
“At that time we decided to continue banning its use in official competitions on the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champions and the Korn Ferry Tour for the foreseeable future,” the tour said in a statement. “We will evaluate the impact that rangefinders have on competition at the PGA of America Championships in 2021 and then review the matter with our player directors and the Player Advisory Board.”
You can bet you won’t see Augusta National for the Masters devices either.
The PGA, however, is an example of how different ways of enforcing the rules in various tournaments can be applied. It is already the only organization that seems willing to allow “favorite lies” (lifting, cleaning and placing) during their championships. It does not invoke the “single ball” rule that is seen at all levels of professional play. (The single ball rule is that players can only use a specific ball make and model for an entire round). This is one more example.
One theory: the PGA of America represents more than 28,000 professional clubs across the country. In addition to teaching the game, they also run golf shops and sell equipment. Maybe this is a way to get the distance that devices love with the public. People may buy the product if they see that they are using the best in the world.
Tiger talk
Since it was learned in early January that Tiger Woods had a fourth microdiscectomy (December 23) and it was also learned that he was already hitting balls, there has been little information about his condition. Woods has not offered any public updates and it looks like he won’t have media availability this week at Genesis Invitational, the tournament he organizes and where he could be at the venue over the weekend.
Woods dropped to 48th place in the world this week, meaning he’s eligible for next week’s WGC at The Concession, which looks like it will be too soon for his return. This week marks eight weeks of surgery. Invitational Arnold Palmer would also be in question, although it is possible. So now it becomes a waiting game every week to see if he comes back. Arnold Palmer? Players? Honda? WGC-Match Play? The latter has spent 13 weeks of the procedure and a place where he could get at least in three rounds (due to the format) two weeks before the Master.
Jordan’s rebound
Jordan Spieth has recently rejoined the weekend debate; has had 54-hole advantages in Phoenix and Pebble Beach. While he couldn’t add his twelfth PGA Tour victory to either spot, he finished T-4 at the Phoenix Open Waste Management and T-3 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, being there with an opportunity should be encouraging for a player who has endured so much golf anger for the past three more years.
Still, Spieth’s inability to get the ball in play off the tee – and some cold stretches with the putter – continue to condemn him. The driver is especially problematic, as we saw Sunday when he touched just six streets in Pebble Beach. A couple of late birders helped him shoot 70 below the pair, but he had damaged his chances with bogeys in the sixth par-5 and the par-5 14th. Over the weekend, Spieth made a bogey at four par 5s and lost by 3 strokes.
As you might expect, Spieth has a lot of positive points in the last two weeks.
“If I look back on Friday night in San Diego and you tell me I was going to share the 54-hole advantage and I would have the 54-hole advantage two weeks in a row and fight hard the two weeks, I would have told you “I’m crazy, to be honest,” Spieth said, “I wasn’t in a big head space after they weren’t cut. [at the Farmers Insurance Open] and I did some really phenomenal work from Sunday to Wednesday last week, which was probably the best period of a few days of work I’ve done in a long time. It just made me believe in what I was doing and move forward. “
Multiple winners, Berger’s equal streak, etc.
With his victory at Pebble Beach, Daniel Berger became the fifth player to win several times since the break of COVID-19. Berger won the first event, the Charles Schwab Challenge, in June. Dustin Johnson (Travelers, Northern Trust, Tour Championship, Masters) Jon Rahm (Memorial, BMW Championship), Bryson DeChambeau (Rocket Mortgage, US Open) and Collin Morikawa (Workday Charity Open, PGA Championship) are the others. … Berger has shot 26 consecutive rounds of par or better, the longest streak of the PGA Tour. … Since Spieth last won the 2017 Open, Justin Thomas has won nine, Johnson has won eight, Brooks Koepka six, DeChambeau six and Rory McIlroy five. … Woods, who didn’t even hit balls due to injuries at the time of Spieth’s Open victory, has had three wins since then. … Spieth is now 62nd in the world and can still get next week’s WGC at The Concession if he can jump into the top 50 on Monday, although the event will go beyond the top 50 to occupy the field in 72 players.