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.
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
