• Welcome To ShotTalk.com!

    We are one of the oldest and largest Golf forums on the internet with golfers from around the world sharing tips, photos and planning golf outings.

    Registering is free and easy! Hope to see you on the forums soon!

TV Jury for Golf?

IrishGolfer

Fac ut gaudeam
Supporting Member
Sep 1, 2004
6,542
4,976
Guys

Watch this: YouTube - Vid1

Some guy at home with nothing better to do called Podge on this and he was subsequently DQ'ed after shooting a -7.

Harrington accidentally moved his ball a gnats hair on 7th green. Viewer called in. PH DQ'ed. Official reason - signed for the wrong score. The penalty for moving his ball - 2 shots. Harrington signed for a par 3, when he should have signed for a 5.

Tour referee Andy McPhee: "an email to a Euro Tour feedback website at 6pm last night."

Ridiculous rule.The naked eye of the golfer rather than a slo mo camera should be the judge in whether a ball moves or not.

Where do we stand on this? IMO if we followed every pro golfer for every hole of every round and analysed every shot, we would see a lot of rule infringements.
 

limpalong

Mental Ward Escapee
Supporting Member
Oct 18, 2006
13,821
13,653
I forgot!
Country
United States United States
The opportunity for a television viewer to effect the outcome of professional golf tournaments... and the income and implied integrity of professional golfers... hinges on the ridiculous. This is the ONLY sport where the results can change hours/days later, depending on the phone call or e-mail of a couch potato. Should the pros follow the Rules of Golf? No question!! They should and they do! The integrity of the game is at stake. If someone is caught purposefully cheating, they should be barred from the game. However....

Most tournaments have something over 100 golfers tee off on day 1. Many tourneys are only televised on day 3 and day 4. Why should the last two rounds be 'officiated' by television viewer and not the first two rounds? Out of the ~144 golfers on the course... 70 and ties on the last two days... only a handful are seen on television. Out of that handful, only a few of each of their shots are seen. So, the only shots to be judged by the 'couch potato' are those few that are televised? Absurd!!!

Here's what should happen. The scores as recorded by the players stand. Players should and do call tourney officials in to assist with questionable calls. That should continue and that should be the final judgement as far as that tourney goes. Any phone calls or e-mails from outside the ropes should be collected and considered by a team of PGA/USGA officials after the tourney has been decided and the trophies/purses distributed. If during the review process it is the "jury's" decision that a player has blantantly cheated, that player should have consequences imposed. Those consequences could be anything from a hefty fine to banishment from the Tour for life.

Refs miss calls in football or basketball games. Should a slow motion camera allow balls and strikes to be changed in a baseball game? Replay is becoming used more and more in major sports arenas. I have no problem with replay officiating if... IF... it is equally applied to all participants. In the case of pro golf, it is only applicalbe to the participants who happen to be on camera at that time.

Get the couch potatoes out of the act of determining the outcome of a professional sporting event!!!!
 

Stanters

Trinket King
Aug 13, 2006
1,096
1
Agree 100% sir, hopefully this cloud will have a sliver lining and start the beginning of the end of this nonsense.
 

MCDavis

The Plaid Duffer
Staff member
Moderator
Oct 19, 2006
13,633
5,195
Sanford, NC
Country
United States United States
Any phone calls or e-mails from outside the ropes should be collected and considered...

This is the only thing I disagree with, limp. I think the PGA/LPGA/Euro Tour/whoever is running the tournament should be the only people who can make a call. I do not think anything emailed in, called in, whatever should be allowed unless it's from a tour or tournament official. Sure, the info might make the tour keep a closer eye on that golfer for a while, but the tourney should be over on Sunday afternoon.

Hockey has a "war room" that monitors every game and makes the final decision on questionable calls. I realize a golf course is bigger than a hockey rink, but the reality is that every hole could be monitored if necessary, just like NHL monitors every game. There are announcers, officials on the course, playing partners, and caddies who can all keep an eye out if it's really necessary.

Viewers have no business making calls ever IMHO.

Otherwise, I agree with limp!
 

slickpitt

Well-Known Member
Aug 15, 2006
2,706
3
I think it's total crap. I don't think they should allow changes like this from some dude calling in.
 

SiberianDVM

I love Hooters
Moderator
Jul 25, 2005
8,783
1,539
Augusta, GA
Country
United States United States
It's total bullshit and if the USGA and R&A have a functioning pair of balls amongst them, they will do away with 90% of the asinine rules AND this phone-in shit. I have my doubts based on their past records. Pussies.
 

anonymous golfaholic

Refusing Recovery
Supporting Member
Feb 10, 2010
6,519
4,795
Illinois
Country
United States United States
It's total bullshit and if the USGA and R&A have a functioning pair of balls amongst them, they will do away with 90% of the asinine rules AND this phone-in shit. I have my doubts based on their past records. Pussies.

Love it! Post of the Year!
 

forum

Active Member
Jan 21, 2011
10
0
in my books rules are rules and whether it is called by a bloke on the sidelines or some couch potato from home the rule still has to be followed as coded in the golf rule book
 

TheTrueReview

"Playing it straight"
Supporting Member
Jan 8, 2009
8,204
6,042
Country
Australia Australia
No other sport has this situation where if a rules infraction is found after the fact (except for a failed drug test) the player/team is punished. I think the decision should stand. If the media notice an infraction has occurred, the subsequent negative exposure would be punishment enough for a player not to do it again. IMO.
 

xamilo

Right Curving Driver....
Supporting Member
Dec 22, 2007
2,924
301
This is ridiculous! Get a life you couch potatoe!
 

fisher

Well-Known Member
Nov 16, 2008
1,263
0
I just watched that video twice thru blown up full screen. Am I missing something? Cause I expected to see the ball move but I didn't??? Am I blind???? If it did move did it come to rest in its original position. Next we will have couch potatos zooming in and measuring how far the players place their boll from the marker.
 

nututhugame

Winter Sucks!
Supporting Member
Dec 29, 2008
4,939
1,351
Southeast Wisconsin
Country
United States United States
It's total bullshit and if the USGA and R&A have a functioning pair of balls amongst them, they will do away with 90% of the asinine rules AND this phone-in shit. I have my doubts based on their past records. Pussies.

Took the words out of my mouth. Tell us how ya really feel Doc.
 

Augster

Rules Nerd
Supporting Member
Mar 9, 2005
1,473
23
You folks are nuts. Play the game by the rules. If you break a rule, even as inadvertantly as Podge's situation, live with the consequences.

How is it rediculous? How is it unfair? He moved his ball, then played from wrong place. He didn't realize he moved his ball. If he had realized it, he could have moved it back without penalty. But he didn't. As played, he played from a wrong place.

Do I think it is unfair that only the best players get this kind of scrutiny because they are on TV most often? Of course. There is a way to not be on TV so much you know. Play worse.

If you are good enough to cash the checks that come with being on TV, you have to accept your play is going to be more scrutinized while you are out there. It comes with the territory of cashing huge checks.

How can anyone compare golf officiating to any other sport? In every officiated sport players try to get away with the maximum they can without getting caught. Constantly breaking rules until an official cites them for it. There is no honor in those games. No reliance on self.

In golf, you are responsible for calling your own infractions. And are expected to. When you don't call your own infractions, and get caught not doing so by others, there are consequences. Does it matter if it is a playing opponent, a Rules official walking with them, someone outside the ropes, a caddie, or someone from home? NONE of those folks broke the rules. ALL are required to point an infraction out in order to protect the field. Either a player broke a rule or he didn't. Getting the ruling right is the most important thing.

In the end the responsibility of fair play falls on the player. Just play by the Rules and you have nothing to worry about.

Just FYI...
It is very obvious the ball is moved in the video. The first time I saw it I couldn't believe he wasn't moving it back and playing from wrong place. Nothing intentional I am sure, and Padraig handled it wonderfully.

What these players need to do is to remember to F-up in the FINAL round. That way when it is caught the next day, there are no ramifications. Because when the competition is closed, and the checks are awarded, that's it. All results are final. :)
 

cyberious

Planet Love Tron
Feb 19, 2005
527
2
Counterpoint. The sissy tattle tales need to be exposed and publicly laughed at and/or forced to watch nothing but sssmokin's member's only posts until such time that their brains ooze out through their noses or the cannot close their eyes without screaming from the horror of that which you cannot un-see.

Come on this is ridiculous when was the last time any other sport was refereed by arm chaired losers who have nothing better to do between their doses of Viagra? It happens people have brain farts but come on a DQ that basically labels you as a cheat that is BS. But of course what do you expect from the USGA (United Suckholes aGainst America). What a bunch of F***tards they are. I'm sick of their interference with the game, players, and equipment.

Here are some USGA meeting minutes.

"Hey let's change wedges just to screw with people."
"Oooh I know let's allow she-males to play in ladies golf."
"I have an idea let's allow complete no life, 50 handicappers to call in violations on the pros."
"Let's make any rule we damn well please and feed the public the line that we're doing it for the love of the game"

What a bunch of donkey rectums. I'm sick of the USGA. Turd Burglers
 

🔥 Latest posts

Top