Golf Vic Vol 60 No 2 2019

Not without some justification, high-profile golf has forever been rather pleased with itself when discussing the level of on-course deportment displayed by its participants. Exemplified by the likes of Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus, the list of those who have performed with an admirable combination of honour and sportsmanship is lengthy indeed. Such qualities remain in evidence today. Of course they do. Golf today is littered with examples of players doing the right things. But, judged solely on the first quarter of 2019, it would be a mistake if the greatest game of all was to lapse into even momentary complacency. The first few months of this year have produced a disappointingly lengthy series of undistinguished events, a catalogue of increasingly commonplace incidents. In a sport sold to the public and prospective sponsors as one overflowing with unimpeachable integrity and unassailable honesty, the standard of behaviour and decision-making has too often dipped far below those formidable ideals. The catalyst for at least some of the nonsense we have witnessed was the introduction of a plethora of rule changes on January 1st. Commendably – though some might argue, naively – appealing to the more ethical aspects of human character, the R&A and United States Golf Association came up with a raft of regulations that more than ever before assume a high level of inherent decency in players. Accidentally kick your ball when searching for it in the rough? No penalty. Double-hit the ball? No penalty. Inadvertently move your ball when you address a putt? Put it back, no penalty. All of which provoked a cynical reaction from at least one member of the audience at a rules seminar held before the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in January. “A cheat’s charter,” he called it. Still, it is other rule changes that have garnered the most attention. No longer can a caddie line up a player before any shot. And we can all putt with the pin in the cup, from any distance. The first of those stipulations almost immediately caused all kinds of fuss at the Dubai Desert Classic and the Phoenix Open. Both Haotong Li and Denny McCarthy were deemed to have adopted their address positions when their caddies were standing directly behind them. In each case, the verdict seemed harsh as it was clear neither caddie was involved in any lining-up. Although McCarthy’s two-shot penalty was later rescinded, the impression left in the wider world – yet again – was that golf is a rather silly game adjudicated by rather silly people. Putting with the pin in was introduced in an attempt to speed up the game. That makes sense at club level and when players are more often putting from distance. Eliminating time- consuming walks in order to attend the pin has obvious time- saving implications. But on the pro tours, where caddies are everywhere, such a move is largely unnecessary if pace of play is really the issue. Ah, but it is an issue, maybe the biggest in the professional game. And it’s getting worse. Bryson DeChambeau was snail-like GOLF'S HALL OF SHAME gallery Cartoons: Paul Harvey by John Huggan Golf Victoria 49