Golf Update: The tragic tale of the rule-breaking golfers
The Rules of the golf game have certainly broken many dreams of famous golf players. Regardless of which tour they play for, many golfers have been disqualified due to minute mistakes. Just recently, the three time major winner Padraig Harrington was disqualified
from the HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. Like Harrington, Camillo Villegas and Dustin Johnson are few of the many struck by the ‘rule monster.’
Harrington became subject of discussion on Friday as the player was disqualified when he was just one stroke of the lead. A television viewer had actually emailed the European tour saying that Harrington had actually moved his ball while picking up his marker.
If it were a normal player, the player would have merely received a two stroke penalty. Since Padraig himself turned in the score of 65 on the scorecard, on reviewing TV footage when the accusation turned out to be true, the player was disqualified. Being
in a strong position, Harrington didn’t argue and accepted the blame and hence withdrew from the event.
Following the disqualification, discussions started amongst the governing bodies about the rules of the golf matches. The R&A was particularly active in these discussions since it had recently appointed Harrington as its ambassador. The governing bodies,
USGA and R&A are also debating that even though the Dubliner did everything within the rules, the HD-TV tapes are showing something different.
American player Dustin Johnson was bit by the rule bug during the US PGA Championship when he was playing his final hole. The player could have gone to winning the event, had he not suffered a two stroke penalty. Unfortunately, what Dustin thought was just
dirt was actually a bunker, and he was penalized for grounding his club on it. Also, Camillo Villegas was disqualified from the Hyundai Tournament of Champions for signing an incorrect scorecard.
Since both Harrington’s and Villegas’s disqualification was due to the TV viewers calling in about the wrong doing of the players, the PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem, had something to say about it.
"We ought to have an intelligent, thorough discussion of what we have today and what options might be available to us," Finchem said.
"Somebody told me the other day they watched a replay of the Harrington incident, and in analog television you absolutely couldn't see the ball move. It takes HD television to tell you that. Now, if you can't see the ball move in that kind of setting, are
you really going to let that go to disqualification? I mean, there needs to be some common sense here."
Tags: