Since the USGA and the R&A issued the proposed rule banning anchored putting strokes last November, the issue of whether the ban is in the best interests of the game of golf (both at the professional and amateur levels) has been fiercely debated in the court of public opinion. Now it appears that, if the PGA Tour decides to adopt Rule 14-1b (which was finalized recently after a comment perio… Read More
When I learned about the IRONMAN golf tournament several weeks ago, an annual charity event benefitting Junior Achievement of Southern Massachusetts, I had serious doubts whether my aging body and struggling golf game could endure 36 holes in one day at TPC Boston. But I figured that if my fearless publisher, Tim Branco, could handle it, I’d give it a shot. How often does a private group… Read More
If you use an anchored putting stroke (in which the club is braced against the chest or abdomen), you have 2 ½ years to transition to a conventional stroke. After January 1, 2016, anchoring will run afoul of Rule 14-1b of the Rules of Golf, which was adopted yesterday by the USGA and the R&A following a comment period during which thousands of golfers and golf organizations weighed in on… Read More
The way the year is going, Tiger Woods might start carrying a laminated copy of Rule 26 (Water Hazards) in his back pocket in lieu of his yardage book.
Just when the controversy surrounding his drop on the 15th hole in the second round of the Masters tournament had seemed to subside, Woods found himself embroiled in yet another drop controversy after his tee shot on the 14th hole in the final rou… Read More
2013 is shaping up to be the Year of the Tree on the PGA Tour. And while they say trees are 90% air, we all know that’s not really true.
At the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March, Tiger Woods’ tee shot on the 17th hole sailed into a palm tree and became lodged in the branches. Woods was able to identify the ball with binoculars and dropped a ball by the tree with a 1-stroke penalty un… Read More
When Tiger Woods' approach shot on the 15th hole of Augusta National during the second round of the Masters Tournament struck the flagstick and careened into the water hazard, it created a splash literally as well as figuratively in the sometimes arcane golf rules universe. Although Woods signed an incorrect scorecard that did not reflect the 2-stroke penalty ultimately imposed for playing f… Read More
When Tiger Woods' wedge shot struck the flagstick on the 15th green in the second round of the Masters tournament and careened into the water hazard, it was no doubt one of the worst breaks in Masters history. A likely birdie became a bogey. Until Saturday, when it became a triple bogey after Woods was assessed a 2-shot penalty for allegedly dropping the ball in the wrong place. Many obs… Read More
It used to be that if you wanted to go from fading the ball to drawing the ball you had to adjust your swing. Now, increasingly, you can adjust your club.
Some years ago, TaylorMade introduced the R7 driver, which permitted golfers to adjust weights in the sole of the club to induce a draw or a fade. Later, the R9 driver introduced the ability to open or close the face of the club. The lates… Read More
Stacy Lewis goes into Sunday’s final round of the LPGA Founders Cup in Phoenix trailing leader Ai Miyazato by three strokes. A victory would give her the Rolex No. 1 ranking. But for a mishap by her caddie which resulted in a 2-stroke penalty, Lewis would trail by only a shot.
It is rare for an act of a caddie to result in a penalty, but it happened yesterday on the par-4 16th hole after… Read More
It used to be that if you wanted to go from fading the ball to drawing the ball you had to adjust your swing. Now, increasingly, you can adjust your club.
Some years ago, TaylorMade introduced the R7 driver, which permitted golfers to adjust weights in the sole of the club to induce a draw or a fade. Later, the R9 driver introduced the ability to open or close the face of the club. The lates… Read More
