SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Player conduct on the golf course has long been part of the Rules of Golf. This is the first time all four majors published their code for the players, and there already have been ramifications.
Sergio Garcia was given a warning at the Masters when he smashed (and broke) his driver twice into the ground and then against a table holding a water cooler.
The USGA opted to bypass the warning and give Joaquin Niemann a two-shot penalty in the first round of the U.S. Open for heaving his wedge on his 15th hole (No. 6) at Shinnecock Hills after twice driving out of bounds and then hitting into thick rough. There were no spectators anywhere near where the club landed in the dunes.
The two-shot penalty turned his 9 into an 11 on the hole and he shot 78. He still tied for seventh.
Is it working?
Jon Rahm, who describes himself as an “intense” player, doesn’t mind the code of conduct. His only question is who it gets applied. Because while the principles and penalties are similar at the four majors, it’s at the discretion of each one how it gets applied.
“I think it’s good. I get it,” Rahm said. “They have a code of conduct and they enforce it. Why not? It’s not going to change how I play. To go from zero to a penalty? I don’t know.”
The R&A’s conduct policy reads: “If a player’s (or their caddie’s) behavior is so far removed from what is expected in the spirit of the game of golf, in accordance with Rule 1.2b, the Chief Referee, in consultation with the Chief Championships Officer, may issue an official warning or apply a penalty of two strokes or disqualification, taking account of the frequency, impact or potential impact, intent and severity of the misconduct. An official warning does not need to be given prior to applying a penalty of two strokes or disqualification.”
Rahm was playing with Garcia when he lost his temper in the final round at Augusta National. He still doesn’t know exactly what happened with Niemann. But his views on the policy made him wonder why this was getting more attention than pace of play.
“Sergio received a warning. I think Joaco maybe deserved a warning — I don’t know what he did,” Rahm said. “With all the policies we have on pace play, you get a warning, another warning and then you MIGHT get a penalty.”
Rahm suggested a warning was warranted on the first offense, especially in the first round.
Faldo questions DeChambeau’s strategy
Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut at the first three majors this year. Nick Faldo wouldn’t be surprised if the American failed to make the weekend at the British Open, too.
“I’d say it to his face — DeChambeau has zero clue of strategy,” the three-time Open champion said on the Sky Sports Golf podcast.
Faldo questioned DeChambeau’s attacking approach in links golf, saying he needed more creativity and to “look at humps and bumps.
“You don’t think: ‘Oh, I’ll just blast it down there. Can’t see where I’m going,’” Faldo said.
DeChambeau has two top-10 finishes in eight appearances at the Open Championship, including a tie for 10th at Royal Portrush last year.
No regrets for Justin Rose
Justin Rose tied for fourth as a 17-year-old amateur in the 1998 British Open at Royal Birkdale and turned pro a week later.
He famously missed 20 cuts in a row when he turned pro. He has only one major, the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion. That’s among his 25 victories worldwide, which includes an Olympic gold medal when golf returned to the Olympic program in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
He was asked Tuesday if this is what he imagined when he left Royal Birkdale 28 years ago. It’s impossible to answer, and Rose eventually said he would stand pat with what he has done.
“Twenty-eight years later I’m playing in The Open Championship,” he said. “If I think about that, that’s still an amazing achievement, just to have the will to keep wanting to be here.
“Could I have won more of what I’ve already won? Yes. Would I love to be a multiple major champion? Yes. Do I feel I could have pushed towards close to a Grand slam? Yes. I’ve had results that nearly put me in that realm. So a little bit of luck here and there, I could be sitting here with a very different career.”
But he was happy with the career he has, which includes five stints at No. 1 in the world. And his hope is being comfortable with all that he’s achieved gives him freedom to achieve more.
Arise, Sir Rory?
The wait goes on for Rory McIlroy, one of Britain’s greatest ever sports stars, to receive a knighthood.
“If that honor were bestowed on me one day,” McIlroy said Tuesday, “that would be amazing.”
So what’s the holdup? After all, it’s more than a year since he won the Masters to become the only European golfer to complete the career Grand Slam.
Sections of the British media have reported that a tax issue might be the reason and that was put to McIlroy at his news conference.
“I have no idea,” he said.
Nick Faldo, who also has six major titles, has been knighted.
Minor bump for British Open prize fund
The British Open has increased its prize fund to $17.5 million, remaining as the lowest purse among the four majors after having the smallest increase of the majors.
The Masters increased it purse by $1.5 million to $22.5 million. The PGA Championship also had a $1.5 million bump to $20.5 million. The U.S. Open increased its purse by $1 million to $22.5 million.
The R&A announced a $750,000 increase in its purse, with $3.2 million for the winner, $100,000 more than Scottie Scheffler won last year.
Divots
Sam Burns, the runner-up at the U.S. Open, was at Royal Birkdale on Monday for the British Open. The original plan was to skip the final major because of the due date of his wife’s second child. Their daughter was born the first week in July, and Burns made the trip. … Scottie Scheffler is legendary for wanting to dress like a PGA Tour player when he was a boy, and he always wore pants to look the part, even in the summer heat of Dallas. He wore shorts during practice at the British Open. “I’d like to think I’ve gotten less dumb since I was a kid,” Scheffler said. “One good decision I made is to start wearing shorts every now and then when it’s hot out.”
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