BOB WEST ON GOLF: Golf’s complex rules can be life changing for pros

Published 5:23 pm Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Dating back to Roberto DiVicenzo signing an incorrect scorecard in the final round of the 1968 Masters, thus costing himself being in a playoff with Bob Goalby to win the coveted green jacket, golf is littered with hard-luck stories and costly, nit-picking rules violations.

Many such latter day mishaps have been triggered by fans watching on TV, detecting a player unknowingly breaking a rule, then phoning PGA officials to demand action be taken.

Craig Stadler was once penalized post round after a TV fan questioned Stadler kneeling on a towel to keep from getting his pants wet while hitting a trouble shot. Stadler was flagged for “building a stance” and wound up getting disqualified for signing a scorecard that did not reflect the two-shot
penalty.

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It cost him a second place finish.

The latest, and certainly one of the most brutal, most haunting punishments inflicted on an unsuspecting golfer, cost Matthew Southgate a PGA Tour card in the recent Web.com playoffs. A rule that a high percentage of pros admitted they were not aware of, brought Southgate down.

Here’s what happened. Southgate was cruising along in great shape in the third of four Web.com playoff events. On the par 4, 15th in the final round of the DAP Championship, he lined up a 15-foot birdie putt that would have gotten him to even par.

As the ball was rolling toward the hole, a gust of wind blew a huge leaf into Southgate’s ball and knocked it off line enough for the putt to miss. Southgate shrugged off the bad break, walked to his ball and tapped in.

Big mistake. Under rule 19-1, a player’s ball in motion on the green, that is deflected by an outside agency, must be replaced and the stroke replayed.

The unaware Southgate played out his round, signed for a four on the hole and
turned in his card.

A PGA official saw the blowing-leaf scenario later on Twitter, realized a rule had been violated and informed Southgate he would be penalized four shots. Two would be for not replaying the shot and two more would be for signing an incorrect scorecard. He wound up with an eight instead of a four.

Ultimately, he narrowly missed getting his PGA Tour card. Had his putt not hit the leaf, he almost certainly would be a full fledged PGA Tour member. For Southgate, it could wind up being a life-changing bad break.

One more example of what a cruel game golf can be.

CHIP SHOTS
Babe Zaharias will be hosting the first ever Southern Texas PGA Fall Series Junior tournament held in the Golden Triangle Saturday, Oct. 28.

The Fall Series events are mostly played in the Houston, San Antonio and Austin areas.

The tournament is open to all juniors, regardless if they are STPGA members. Entry fee is $35 for members and $40 for no members. Players can register at STPGA.com or call the Zaharias Golf Shop at 409 722-8286.

Tee times are set to begin at 11 a.m.

Chris Stroud tees off tonight in the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in South Korea, hoping to get back on track after playing poorly in his first two starts of the 2017-18 season. After missing the cut in the Safeway Open in California, Stroud finished 75th in the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur.

In a 78-player field where winner Pat Perez shot 24 under, 21 players were 10 under or better and 61 players were par or better, Stroud shot rounds of 72-72-75-78 to finish 9-over.

Like the CIMB Classic, the CJ Cup has a limited field of only 78 players …

PNG ex Karlei Hemler bested former Nederland standout Felicia Sauceda in Louisiana-Monroe’s Fred Marx Invitational completed Tuesday at Bayou DeSiard Country Club in Monroe.

Hemler, playing in her fourth tournament as a freshman for McNeese State, shot rounds of 84-78-77 in windy conditions. Her 239 total was 21st overall in a field of 70 players and helped McNeese to a fifth place finish out of 12 teams.

Sauceda posted rounds of 78-83-81 for a 242 that tied for 27th overall.

Lamar finished fourth and Cardinal Elodie Chaplet was medalist with a 220 total …

The team of Bim Morrow, Tony Trevino, Larry Johnson and Roger Baumer scored a sweep in the Monday Senior 50 Plus 2 ball game at Babe Zaharias. The Morrow team finished minus-3 on the front and minus-1 on the back …

Morrow was also the captain on the winning front nine team in the Super Saturday 2 ball at Zaharias. His foursome that included Rick Pritchett, Troy Touchet and Brad Royer prevailed with even par. On the back, the team of Adam Noel, Harrel Guidry, Jay Hampson and Mike Noel placed first with minus 3 …

In the Friday Senior two-ball at Zaharias, the team of Benny Sharpe, Trevino, Charles Leard and Baumer won the front with minus-4. The back went to the foursome of Doug LeBlanc, John LeBlanc, James Shipley and Paul Flores with minus-3.

Format for the Thursday Seniors was individual stroke play with handcap.

Earl Richard took First Flight with a 70, edging Adam Noel by a stroke. In Second Flight, Gary Fontent’s 64 was one shot better than Guidry’s 65.

Paul Duplantis won Third Flight was a 67, besting Sid Ducote by two strokes. Closest to the pin winners were Fontenot (No. 2), Lee Bertrand (No. 12) and Tommy Duhon (No. 15).

Fourteen points won the Wednesday Zaharias DogFight for the team of Larry Reece, Larry Johnson, Duplantis and Ducote. Closest to the pin winners were Leard (No.2), Ron LaSalle (No. 7) and Bob West (No. 12, No. 15).

Golf news should be e-mailed to rdwest@usa.net