GOLF LINKS SPAIN makes absolutely no apologies for this article. Tiger Woods is a bad example for golf – full stop!

There is no doubt that, since his arrival on the professional golf scene in 1996, following an almost unprecedented amateur career, Woods has been the iconic element that has taken golf from where it was to where it is now in the same way that Arnold Palmer did in his heyday. Golf sponsorship has reached unprecedented levels and prize money has reached levels that enable even a mediocre professional golfer to make a million dollars a year and set themselves and their families up for life. During recent coverage of a golf tournament in America in which Woods was NOT playing, his name was mentioned more often than any other player in the field. Despite any past transgressions, he continues to dominate the world of golf.

However, let us look at the facts. He hasn’t won in fifteen months and every time he tees it up, this is the one where he is going to get back in the winner’s circle. His form at the Ryder Cup was average until his final day singles’ blitz but what else has he done? Yes, good finishes; threatening; always intimidating; but what else? Nada!

Please guys - keep it to yourself!

However, there is one thing that Woods has continued to carry through his ‘hard times’. His consumate bad manners and irreverance to his fellow competitors and the game that put him where he is. I was watching the coverage live on CANAL+ of the recent tournament from Dubai and witnessed his disgusting spitting incident on the green that other fellow competitors were still due to play. Woods has always been a ‘spitter’. He also ‘effs and blinds’ his way around the course every time he fails to hit the ‘perfect shot’.

Tiger – get over yourself! Do you ever think what your late father, Earl, might be thinking should he be looking down on you and your behaviour? Having said that, I am a firm believer that we learn our standards from our elders – I’ll say no more.

The younger players of today have no fear and every one of them, possibly to the last man, look up to Woods as the golfer that they strive to be. I know that Rory McIlroy used to have him up on a pedestal and I am certain that he is not alone in that with respect to Woods’ golfing ability. But please, please, please, stay true to yourselves; work hard on your game; respect your fellow competitors; stay true to the values of the game and possibly one final word of advice…

Just imagine that every time you stand over the ball, faced with an almost impossible approach or a tricky curling putt that may mean you make the weekend or win the tournament, that some kid is glued to the television, watching your every move and reaction and that he may become a better golfer or person, based on your response.

Maybe worth thinking about Tiger…

GMacSpain

Am I the only person who wants to wring Robert Rock’s caddy’s neck?

If, like me, you are an avid follower of European Tour golf, you cannot but help notice the fannying around that Rock’s caddy gets up to on the putting green in preparation of his employer’s work. It doesn’t matter the length of the putt, be it the full length of the green or the shortest shoe-in. Numerous looks from behind,in front of and either side of the hole, which take up enough time on their own, are only the prelude to his ludicrous antics prior to the putt itself.

First there is the drama queen posing whilst standing along the line of the putt. The arms get folded across his chest whilst he performs his imaginary putting stroke, occasionally then dropping his hands into the putting stroke movement itself – but I haven’t even come to the part that really pisses me off!

His next manoeuvre is to lie prone behind the ball with his hands cupped over his eyes as if he is looking for enemy craft on a distant horizon – and this goes on with every putt Rock has to make. Further detailed searching then goes on before he then raises himself up to a press-up position before getting himself up on his hunkers before his final ‘piece-de-resistance’. This involves standing behind the ball whilst Rock then takes his address position – what on earth he is doing while all this goes on I do not know! Then, when Rock is finally getting ready to make his actual stroke at the ball, his caddie – whose name I do not wish to know – takes a couple of steps off to the side so that the player can finally make the putt. I wouldn’t mind so much, but on the number of occasions that I have witnessed this pathetic waste of time, Rock has missed his putt more often than holed it. He currently lies 57 in the European Tour putting stats with an average of 29.2 putts per round, which I suppose isn’t bad, but surely, he must be constantly in breach of the amount of time permitted by the Tour to complete his shot.

Is it any wonder that tournament rounds in 2 and 3-ball format regularly take in excess of 5 hours? The normal time taken for a round of golf by us amateurs has crept up and up and it is believed that many of the junior players are guilty of adding to this by copying what they see the Pros doing. Here in Spain, a round of golf can take seemingly forever but this is due in part to course managers trying to put too many people out in a day to help maximise profits. Then we have the dreaded buggy and all the extra time that that can involve at times.

To John Paramor, Chief Referee on the European Tour, if you ever read this, can something not be done to outlaw this ridiculous time-wasting?

Gordon McCadden

The Rules of Golf are drawn up by teams of experts throughout the world to ensure ‘fairness and equity’ for us all. However, every 4 years, minor changes are added and amended to these Rules based on ‘incidents’ and ‘decisions’ resulting from actual events when the powers that be have time to reflect on how these incidents may have affected the outcome of an event.

Rarely does an incident, such as happened to England’s Brian Davis, have such an effect on the final result. Playing in the Verizon Heritage at South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island course, Davis had birdied the final hole to get himself into a play-off with America’s Jim Furyk. Following good drives from both players at the first play-off hole, Davis tugged his approach left to finish up on the sand in the hazard beside the green. Furyk, safe but a bit long, managed to get his approach putt up to about four feet from the pin. Davis then had a couple of options; he could play the ball as it lay or take a drop under penalty meaning he would likely have to chip in for four to extend the play-off. His ball was lying relatively well and he opted to play it as it lay. Obviously, being very conscious of not touching anything within the hazard, he played his shot but felt he may have brushed something on his backswing. He immediately drew this to the attention of the match referee and, following a lengthy delay when television evidence was used to determine exactly what happened, Davis called the 2-shot penalty on himself for touching a loose impediment in a hazard as covered by Rule 13.4 and that effectively brought an end to the proceedings with Furyk holing his putt for a winning par.

Lots has been written about Davis’ honesty in calling attention to the incident and the subsequent 2-shot penalty. However, as Bobby Jones once famously said, following an incident that no-one else could have witnessed, when someone commended him on his honesty, Jones replied, ‘you might as well congratulate me for not robbing a bank’.

The point of this article is not about the rights and wrongs of the incident but the application of the spirit of the game. Davis did nothing to improve his lie and nor did the action of brushing the reed affect the result. Some people refer to Davis ‘grounding his club’, something he certainly did not do as this may be deemed to have improved his lie. In fact, on the first television replay of the incident, commentator, Nick Faldo’s immediate comment was, ‘that’s fine’ as he couldn’t see that Davis had gained any advantage. There was no attempt on his part to do so but, according to the letter of the law, the deed was done and Davis will have to wait a while before claiming his first PGA title.

However, just like Kevin Costner in my favourite golf movie, Tin Cup, it will be Davis who will remembered for his actions and finishing runner-up. As Slugger White, the Rules Official, in crediting Davis for his honesty, said, ‘That will come back to him in spades, tenfold!’

Will this ‘incident’ result in an amendment to Rule 13.4? Only the powers that be can decide that. Their response will be along the lines of ‘where do you draw the line’ but perhaps, as good ole’ Slugger intimated, it will be Davis who proves to be the winner in the long run.

What do you think? Please leave your comments on this or any other aspect of the Rules.

Gordon McCadden

THE RULES OF GOLF

Since 1744, the basic principles of the Rules of Golf have been to play the course as you find it, the ball as it lies and, if you are unsure of the proper procedure, to do what is fair.

There are now 34 Rules covering all aspects of the game. The R&A, the game’s ruling body, produce an update of the Rules of Golf every four years and the current edition, 2008 – 2011, is freely available to every golfer on the planet. The Rules of Golf are produced in every language where golf is played throughout the world and every golfer should have a copy of it in his golf bag, although, sadly, this is not always the case.

In addition, the R&A also produce what I feel is an essential publication called ‘Golf Rules Illustrated’. Golf Rules Illustrated is an invaluable tool for the serious golfer in my opinion as it goes into great detail as to how the Rules apply in specific situations. It also provides numerous incidents that have taken place over the years whereby the application has resulted in a specific interpretation that may, in many cases, have brought about a possibly significant effect on the outcome of a tournament.

In many cases, these ‘incidents’ have resulted in a ‘decision’ and this is where the real golf rules enthusiast can steep themselves in all of the ramifications of a decision by purchasing ‘Decisions on the Rules of Golf’.

All of these publications can be obtained by going online to www.randa.org and while you are at it, why not test yourself on your own knowledge of the Rules by having a go at their ‘Rules of Golf Interactive Quiz’. I think that even those of you who feel quite knowledgeable on the subject may find yourselves scratching your heads, even with the Moderate sets of questions you will find!

Remember, golf is a self-regulating game and all golfers should have a good understanding of the fundamental Rules.

Editors Note: GOLF links SPAIN will be providing regular articles covering specific aspects of the RULES, including details of incidents and decisions that have been taken over the years and their effects on the outcomes of tournaments.

If you have any specific questions or areas of the RULES that you would like to be covered, please post a comment below or drop me an email at info@golflinksspain.com.

The R&A