Every once in a while I get on a soap box and today is the
day.
Every once in a while I get on a soap box and today is the day.
The last couple of weeks have brought out what is seriously flawed with the professional golf tours. In what other sports can some fan sitting on his or her couch call in and have the outcome of that contest changed because they saw something that the referees missed? Last time I checked it can be done in golf and no other sport.
Two weeks ago it was Dustin Johnson and the grounding of the club in a bunker caught by a TV viewer and phoned into the PGA.
This past weekend, LPGA star – and old teammate of mine – Juli Inkster was disqualified as she put a weighted dough nut on her club and swung it to stay loose during a 30 minute delay during her round. This too was caught by a fan watching from the comfort of his or her family room lazy boy.
I am not advocating breaking the rules. But if the rules infraction is not called by the professional themselves, a fellow competitor or rules official, I don’t think it should be called at all.
Tour professionals are as honest as the day is long. If they break a
rule (that they have knowledge of) they will penalize themselves.
We have all seen countless missed calls on TV by umpires or referees. Do we call in to the networks to have the play over turned? Why don’t we just go ahead and take the Lombardi Trophy away from the Pittsburgh Steelers, because after further review the immaculate reception by Franco Harris should be disallowed because the ball actually came off his own player and therefor illegal.
Do you see what I’m getting at?
I am personally starting a campaign to see what can be done about disallowing these “call-in” rules officials. I don’t know where it will go. But I do know that this allowance makes the professional golf tours look stupid.
Don DeLorenzo is a PGA-certified instructor at Gilroy Golf Course. To schedule a lesson with Don, call Gilroy GC at (408) 848-0490.
