Apples & Oranges.


Baseball, Basketball, Football player TRY to get away with stuff. :a040: Golf is self-policing and a game of honor.

I agree. When I saw him pressing down the grass behind the ball, I couldn't believe that he was being so careless. That is exactly the type of lie where this sort of thing can happen.

I don't know if the rules official was on site or watching on a monitor, but I noticed the ball move in the live broadcast. I was surprised that the announcers didn't mention it but maybe the felt that under the new rule that had best be quiet.

"I have no idea if Rahm was aware at the time. He was much more careful the second time he lowered his club into position."

I find it extremely hard to accept that Rahm didn't see the ball move. He may have thought it oscillated however, at that point he should have called in a rules official.

"I have no idea if Rahm was aware at the time. He was much more careful the second time he lowered his club into position."

I find it extremely hard to accept that Rahm didn't see the ball move. He may have thought it oscillated however, at that point he should have called in a rules official.

A caddy on the tour once revealed that some golfers, when they have a bad lie, will ask the caddy for a No. 3 wood, with no intention to use it. They just want to place the club behind the ball and push down the grass to improve their lie. Then, they will switch clubs to make the shot.

I thought that was a bogus call. It look to me that it could of been on the verge of settling on its own since the grass was to freaking high and thick.

I have played with retired professions and active professionals in several sports. I can say with certainty, that all professionals know where the grey areas are in the rules. Do some push the limits? yes, do some cheat, yes, which is why there are rules officials, referees, umpires, and judges. But not everyone cheats. Phil Nickleson stopped a moving putt in the most egregious and flagrant cheating attempt in golf in the US Open on Long Island. In soccer, the old saying is you had to be ahead by two goals to be comfortable, one for the opponent, and one for the referee. In golf, its one shot for the opponent and two shots for the rules officials. And just remember, a golf ball oscillating doesn't matter on amateur day unless there is money or a trophy on the line.

sportsguy

I don't consider what Phil Mickelson did as cheating... yes he broke a rule but it was very blatant and done out of frustration he didn't try to hide it... now patrick reed in the bunker swiping away sand 3 times in his practice back swings with his club, I believe he cheated..

I agree. Phil was trying to make a statement and called the penalty on himself.

Reed's continuous denial, even after seeing the video evidence has lowered my opinion of him.

I have the same feeling about Lexi Thompson in the 2017 ANA tournament. She was given a 4 stroke penalty for moving the ball on the green when a viewer called in to report it. But, a rule change prevented her from being disqualified from the tournament. I guess, under the new rule, she wouldn't have even been penalized. Why mark the ball from the side other than to move it? She didn't even clean it. Here is a video.

Lexi Thompson 2017 4-stroke penalty - YouTube

Reed, Lexi, etc is the reason why there are referees, judges, umpires, etc. As a former soccer referee, intent is a judgement about a player's motivation. Really doesn't matter, did a rules infraction occur, referees, judges, umpires are there for a purpose. Golf is the only sport i know of where the player has a responsibility for infractions, but there are still rules officials so really doesn't matter if a player didn't call it on himself. Also doesn't matter if the participant thinks it was a foul or not, official calls it, its a penalty, flag, stroke, whatever, and the player lives with it. Different points of view as always.

Lexi was my favorite women's player prior to this incident, but other than to move the ball over (away from a spike or other mark?), without even cleaning it, for a one foot putt, can't help but make me think that she knew what she was doing and did it on purpose.