MGA Two-Day Rules & Officiating Workshop - Day 2

Day 2 has brought another perfect day - for being outside and playing golf. The forecast for sun and 70* will make staying inside to study the Rules that much more difficult, especially in light of the late start of the golf season in Minnesota. We all would much rather be outside playing golf (and applying our rules knowledge)!

The outdoor session yesterday gave all of our attendees the opportunity to "see" many of the different rules we have been, and will be, discussing. The two pictures above show both David and me "in action." The students have been great - asking pertinent questions, giving correct rulings, and showing tremendous interest.

This workshop is almost the end for "Rules Workshop Season." I have only one left - our workshop "The Rules of Golf for Tournament Players." By the time I finish, I will have conducted 14 different workshops for over 500 people.

The "Players" workshop is set for next Thursday, May 1, at Edina CC. It is designed to teach the most commonly used rules in a "player-friendly" manner to tournament players. It should be an entertaining evening for all. There is still space available if you want to join in the fun! Visit the MGA web site for more details.

Next on my schedule - Tournament Season............

Until next time -

Doug

MGA Two-Day Rules & Officiating Workshop - Day 1

We are in Day 1 of the MGA Two-Day Rules & Officiating Workshop at Midland Hills CC. Thirty-six individuals, ranging from allied association board members (MWPGA, MPGA & MWGA) to persons interested in becoming rules officials to MGA Tournament Volunteers (and a couple of MGA Staff members) are in attendance. We are very fortunate to have the USGA's Manager of Rules Education David Staebler with us as my co-instructor.

The weather has turned out to be beautiful - sunny and warm - perfect for our outdoor session this afternoon. This is always one of the most enjoyable and favorite parts of any rules workshop. Yet, it will make it difficult to keep everyone's attention with the sun streaming in.

I'm about to go teach, so I'll fill in more later.

Until next time-

Doug

Spring, Tournaments & Rules Changes

Well, it has been nearly 10 days since my last post and it seems the world has gone through some radical changes. We (the MGA) started accepting tournament applications, I conducted the first MGA Rules Workshop of the year, Stewart Cink was disqualified as a result of an obscure, yet not too uncommon, rules violation, the Joint Rules Committee (JRC) has issued a ruling on Cink's incident, and lastly the Masters is upon us. Wow, I'm tired just listing them all.

The official start to the MGA Tournament Season happened back on April 1 when entries started to roll in. In an effort to make the process more user friendly, the MGA has streamlined its on-line application process, and it must be working. After only one week, we have received over 400 entries and many of them on-line. It's always an exciting time for the MGA staff!

The first of seven MGA Rules workshops for the 2008 season was held last Thursday at Edina CC. Twenty individuals ranging from my fellow golf professionals to MGA volunteers to others simply interested in knowing more about the Rules attended. There are more scheduled, so don't miss the opportunity to improve your rules knowledge.

Speaking of the Rules, we have already had two rulings on the PGA TOUR this year that have received discussion. The first was the Ken Duke situation at Bay Hill where he had to lift his ball from a hazard ("beach bunker") in order to identify it. The second just happened down in New Orleans when Stewart Cink was disqualified.

The facts of the Cink incident are as follows. He had played his tee shot close to (but not in) a fairway bunker. While assessing his options, he walked into the bunker, creating footprints. He then played his next stroke into a greenside bunker. After playing the shot, his caddie raked the footprints. Unfortunately, since Cink's ball had come to rest in a bunker, his caddie's actions constituted "testing a similar hazard", a violation of Rule 13-4, for which the penalty is two strokes. Cink became aware of the potential problem while talking to Zach Johnson the next day and immediately notified a Tour official. After reviewing the situation, the Tour concluded he breached 13-4, resulting in a penalty that was not added to his score for the hole. Since Cink had now signed for a score lower than he had actually made for the hole, he was disqualified.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when looking at the ruling. For example, had Cink played from the fairway bunker (that is, had his ball been IN the bunker), there would not have been a penalty as the Rules permit the player to smooth the area even though the ball ended up in a bunker. Also, had the caddie raked the bunker prior to Cink playing the stroke, there would not have been a penalty. And finally, although this happened due to a combination of events taking place, it is not unreasonable to imagine this happening somewhat frequently.

The situation created considerable discussion, and outrage by some, leading to the very unique situation that just occurred. Typically, the Joint Rules Committee (the group of individuals representing both the USGA and R&A in discussions on the Rules) meets each year at Augusta to discuss items of note. As you might expect, this was on the list. As a result, they issued this announcement regarding Rule 13-4a (testing the condition of a hazard). In essence, it is now okay for a player (or caddie) to "tidy up" a bunker as long as the ball does not lie in or touch the same bunker. I applaud the JRC in taking quick action in this case.

Lastly, we all will be "glued to our TVs" this weekend watching The Masters. I'm sure it will give us it's customary share of spectacular shots - like Tiger's hole out on 16 from 2005. Let's hope they have the sun and warmth we are so longing to have up here in Minnesota - despite our Saturday's predicted snow.

Until next time-

Doug

US Women's Open Rules Committee!

Well, in keeping with the language of the time when I was a teenager -- I'm psyched!!

On Thursday, I received an e-mail from the USGA's Jeff Hall asking me to be a part of the Rules Committee for this year's US Women's Open at Interlachen CC! This is something I have been hoping to do for many years and now it is right in front of me. However, after the initial euphoria, it occurred to me I had a conflict that might keep me from serving.

The 30th MGA Players' Championship, set for Duluth's Northland Country Club (one of my favorite courses in the state), will conclude on the first day of the Women's Open. Since it is one of our majors, it is my tournament to oversee, and I need to be there until the very end. Then, I will have to bring back all of our equipment, including the scoreboard, that evening. The best I can do will be to start on Friday. Of course, my responsibility is to our tournament program, and if that meant missing out on the opportunity, well so be it. What was I to do?

I called Jeff's office on Friday to thank him for the offer and to explain the problem. While he wasn't in, his assistant Amy kindly listened and offered to pass along my appreciation and excitement for the invitation. I fully expected her to say thanks for the notice, maybe next year. But, much to my joy, I received an e-mail from Amy that afternoon saying they are comfortable with me starting on Friday, so I'm IN!!

In the world of being a Rules Official for golf, to have the opportunity to officiate at one of golf's majors is a tremendous thrill and honor. I hope I'm up for it. I'll have to talk to the MGA's own Lisa Overom for pointers as she has officiated at both the Women's and Men's Opens the past few years. This makes all of the USGA/PGA Rules of Golf Workshops I have attended in the past well worth the effort!

Until next time-

Doug

MSHSL Golf Rules Clinics are Over!

Well, another season of MSHSL (Minnesota State High School League) Golf Rules Clinics is over. Coaches are required to attend every other year, and with the changes to the Rules this year, it resulted in a great turnout for the series. Collectively, approximately 500 coaches and more than 200 high school golfers attended (although, we had hoped for more students). Thanks to my fellow clinicians Glen Hasselberg, Michael Turnbull, Claudia Pilot and (rookie) Bill Casey for their expertise and assistance in conducting the 17 clinics.

Yesterday concluded a three-day excursion for me as I conducted clinics in St. Cloud on Monday (Apollo HS), Marshall on Tuesday and last night in Hibbing. My return from St. Cloud was delayed 10 hours due to over 4.5" of heavy snow (see picture 1). Hibbing and the Iron Range is an interesting place filled with a rich history, including the birthplace of bus travel in the country. Picture #2 is of the Greyhound Bus Museum.

Now that these clinics are over, I can start to focus on the MGA Rules Education program. I will be conducting eight sessions ranging from Tournament Volunteer Orientations to our Two-Day Rules and Officiating Workshop. We are pleased the the newest member of the USGA Rules Education Department, David Staebler, will be joining me as an instructor for this clinic. The series of clinics will end on May 1 with our clinic "The Rules of Golf for Tournament Players."

And, finally, the MGA Tournament Department (Adam, Alisha and me) has been busy getting ready for the upcoming season. We sent out our annual Member Club mailing, and now it's on to getting our web site ready for April 1, the opening day for tournament applications. The challenge every year is to make sure we are completely prepared for the season before it gets here, so there is plenty of work to do even though the snow hasn't completely melted.

Enjoy March Madness (and go UofAz Wildcats!!)

Doug

Tiger Strikes (again) and the New Rules

Did you see any of the Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend? Wow, that was entertaining and great golf (and not so great on #16 Saturday) over the weekend. It is fun to watch when you have so many players vying for the lead and title.

Bart Bryant really hung in there against Tiger. Even though he wasn't paired with Tiger, it was good to see him keep the pressure on. It would have been fun to see the brothers Bryant each win a Tour event on the same day. That would have been something for the record books. Unfortunately, older brother Brad was in the hunt in the Champions Tour AT&T Champions Classic, only to come up short in a three-way playoff. A mere three strokes kept this moment from happening.

And speaking of strokes, Tiger's last putt was perfect. But, as Roger Maltbie and Johnny Miller of NBC said, he hadn't made anything over 18' all week, it's only a matter of time, and it was! His 25' putt had the perfect speed and found nothing but the center of the hole.

Can Tiger go undefeated in 2008? Looking at his schedule, it's not unreasonable to see him going for his second consecutive major and 11th straight Tour title at the US Open at Torrey Pines. He'll play at Doral this week, then to Augusta, the Wachovia, Players and finally Memorial before heading west to a course that he seems to own. Wouldn't that be something, tying Byron Nelson's record of 11 straight while winning another US Open?

Okay, enough of Tiger for the moment. Did anyone see the ruling Ken Duke had on #16 Saturday? His ball found the bunker, and water hazard (the bunker goes into the water), left of the green. The ball was about 4" into the water and plugged in the sand. He was unable to identify the ball as his, and under the new rules (effective 1/1/08), he would be penalized two-strokes if he played the ball and it wasn't his. So, he was permitted to identify it. This is where it became interesting.

Under Rule 12-2, there is a specific procedure that he must follow. First, he must announce to his marker or fellow-competitor that he intends to lift the ball and identify it. Next, he must mark the position of the ball, and lastly, he must give his marker or fellow-competitor the opportunity to observe him lift it. Knowing the Rule had changed, he called for a Rules Official to assist.

Then it became even more interesting - the Official did not make Duke mark the position of the ball. He simply allowed him to lift the ball, turn it slightly in order for him to see his mark, and replace it in the hole from which it was lifted. You might say, "Since he knew its position, what was the need to mark it?" The Rules are very specific that a ball to be lifted in this case must be marked. However, Duke did not incur any penalty for failing to mark it as he was operating under the direction of the Official. The Rules tell us that if a player proceeds according to the direction of an official, even if it is incorrect, he is exonerated from penalty. NBC did a great job in showing the process "up close and personal."

So next time someone questions your watching golf on television, you can tell them you are studying the rules!

Until next time-

Doug

Rules Seminar Season

While the weather here in Minnesota might not seem to indicate the golf season is just around the corner, I can surely attest to that fact. It is "Rules of Golf Seminar Season!"

Just this week alone, I conducted a seminar for the Dakota's Chapter of the Minnesota Section PGA in Fargo (Monday) and a seminar for the MSHSL (Minnesota State High School League) in conjunction with the Sunshine Clinic at Hopkins HS yesterday (see picture). In addition, I have conducted clinics for the University of Minnesota Women's & Men's golf teams, for the Brad James/UM High School Golf Coaches Clinic and been on the radio with the Common Man on KFAN (see last post). By May 1, I will have conducted over 15 clinics, seminars and workshops for over 500 people!!

If you have never attended a seminar or workshop previously but play golf, I would strongly encourage you to find one to attend. One that you might want to consider is our "The Rules of Golf for Tournament Players" workshop at Edina CC on May 1. It will be a terrific 4 hours focusing on the rules players are most likely to encounter. The most difficult part will be if I can narrow down the rules enough to keep it to just 4 hours.

While it is not unusual for me to conduct some clinics, this year is even more important with the new rules changes for 2008. I had to prepare myself for teaching by attending the USGA/PGA Rules of Golf Workshop in Phoenix back in January. I know, I know, it was a difficult assignment being in Arizona in 72 degree sunshine with the temps struggling to get above 0 here, but I managed! I must have paid attention well enough as I scored a 99 on the "test", missing only one question that I had marked correct intially only to change my answer.

Next seminars on my schedule, MSHSL clinics at Eastview HS on 3/13, and then clinics on 3/17 @ St. Cloud, 3/18 @ Marshall and 3/19 @ Hibbing. Wave if I pass you on the road!

Start studying those rules for the tournament season!

Until next time-

Doug

The Unofficial Start to the MN Golf Season

The golf season in Minnesota got off to its "unofficial" start last weekend with the Great Minnesota Golf Show taking place at the Metrodome. On Saturday, KFAN and "The Common Man" (a.k.a. Dan Cole - the unofficial ambassador of Minnesota Golf) broadcast his "Tee to Green" show live. I had the opportunity to appear as his first guest and talk about the changes to the rules for 2008. It is always a treat to visit with him on the air and promote golf, the MGA and the Rules.


The floor of the 'Dome was filled with exhibitors representing various local and regional golf courses, companies selling their wares from traditional golf equipment to the obscure, golf related organizations - including the MGA and the Minnesota Section of the PGA - and those companies completely unafffiliated with golf. And those stopping by the MGA booth with their MGA/GHIN Handicap Card were rewarded with a valuable prize.



Attendees were able to try out the newest drivers and get a free golf lesson, and when they were done with that, they could try to win $100,000 by making a putt longer than all of the putts I made last year combined. (I don't believe that happened when it counted.)



It seemed the "buzz" of the Show was Tiger's impressive performance in the Accenture World Match Play Championship. I think the total length of the putts he made in winning his six matches was longer than I made last year. With his comment that he is playing his best golf ever, it will be interesting to see what the year holds in store.

All in all, I thought the Show was a great start to the season. It was difficult to determine how many attended, but it was busy even up to the end on Sunday.

Next to do on my schedule, a rules seminar for the Dakotas Chapter of the Minnesota PGA and then a series of five rules clinics for the Minnesota State High School league, HS golf coaches and (hopefully) their student-athletes.


Until next time-
Doug

I've Joined the Blogging World!

February 14

After watching my friend and colleague Wendy Uzelac of the USGA write her I hate to slice blog, I thought I would try my hand at it. It seems to be easy, but time will tell. So, I am apologizing in advance in the event I don't post on a regular basis - and during tournament season - or if they seem rather lame to start. I hope to catch on as I write my way through this.

As the Tournament Director for the Minnesota Golf Association, I hope I can provide a unique background view of conducting championship-level events for those interested. In addition, in my position I often deal with unusual rules situations that require thought beyond the normal, everyday rulings. So, if you are a "rules geek" like me, this is the (blog) spot for you! I hope you will enjoy my musings.

The attached picture is from my recent trip back out to Arizona for a USGA/PGA Rules of Golf Workshop (see, I told you I was a "rules geek"). It is 9th hole, a 202 yard par 3, at the Quintero - Founder's Course, a Rees Jones course in Peoria, AZ (about 45 minutes NW of Phoenix). Quintero is a spectacular course; well worth the drive into nowhere! Thanks to PGA Director of Golf Tom Wilcox for his gracious hospitality!

Until next time-
Doug