Perspective from the 19th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write. I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf. The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie. And it is where you want to be on a golf course.
Like many golfers, I have been watching as much golf on TV as I could over the last couple days and will continue this weekend.
After all, it’s the PGA Championship, one of golf’s four major tournaments.
And, of course, wouldn’t you know it, a few new golf rules issues cropped up. Here, I cite three, because, if, for no other reason, I also like golf rules.
INCIDENT #1, LATE TO THE TEE
South African pro Garrick Higgo did the unforgiveable – he showed up late for his first-round tee time. The result: A two-stroke penalty before he hit his first shot.
Here’s how golf media described the situation:
“Garrick Higgo, a 27-year-old golfer from South Africa, is about as chill as a golfer could be. But early Thursday morning, in the chilly air out here in affluent suburban Philadelphia, a feeling of sickness came over him. Higgo was on the Aronimink Golf Club’s practice putting green, hard by the clubhouse and about 15 feet above the course’s elevated first tee, when the starter said these words:
“From Memphis, Tennessee, the 2003 PGA Championship winner, Shaun Micheel.
“The first player in Higgo’s three-some had been summoned to the tee, and Higgo’s two-shot penalty already was in motion. Rule 5.3a.
“Everything else is commentary.
“From down below, Higgo could hear his American caddie yelling urgently, ‘C’mon, c’mon, c’mon.’
“It didn’t matter.”
And, then, a day later, after two rounds, Higgo missed the cut by two shots, the ones he lost before teeing off on day one.
All this reminded me of last Monday when I served as the starter for the U.S. Open Local Qualifier here in Salem, Oregon. On the tee, one player made it inside the ropes – the requirement – with only 20 seconds to spare. He ran up the hill to make it barely on time.
INCIDENT #2, AN UKNOWN RULE
Here is how Golf Digest described this issue.
“Ever wonder what a golfer with a late tee time at a major does in the morning? Are they laid up on a couch watching early coverage like millions of golf fans? In short, it’s highly likely.
“Michael Kim (pro golfer) confirmed as much on Friday morning. With the PGA Tour winner not teeing off in the second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink until the afternoon, he had his eyes on ESPN+ to see how the course was playing.
“But he also pointed out a little-known rule that most golf fans aren’t aware of. Heck, based on Garrick Higgo’s two-stroke penalty for showing up to his Thursday tee time late, there’s a good chance some players don’t know this one. Anyway, we’ll let Michael explain:
“So, he’s allowed to watch and take mental notes, but not take actual notes to bring out to the course.
“And how would this rule be enforced? Well, according to Kim, it really falls upon the players to enforce it themselves because he’s never had to hand his yardage book over to a rules official.”
And, I add, who knew?
INCIDENT #3: CODE OF CONDUCT POLICY
The Professional Golfers Association has put a code of conduct policy in place, but one question is whether it will be enforced or just sit on a shelf someplace.
In GolfWeek, here is how writer Adan Schupak described the status.
“Justin Thomas tomahawked a golf club, Jon Rahm hit a volunteer in the face with a divot, and Rory McIlroy answered a question at a press conference with an NSFW four-letter word.
“None of these examples of boorish behavior during the first round of the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club merited a warning under the code of conduct policy adopted by the PGA of America this year.
“Kerry Haigh, the PGA’s Chief of Competitions, explained at a press conference on Wednesday that it was instituted to police behavior by competitors so ‘everyone is behaving appropriately, professionally, and as we would want our children and people watching to see the major championship.’
“Despite Thomas, who heaved his club to the ground after his tee shot at 14 on Thursday, Rahm’s divot hitting a volunteer on No. 7 (he apologized after the round and explained it was accidental), and McIlroy’s language during his press conference (the first item on the list of unacceptable behavior), no punishment was doled out on Thursday.
“Any decision is at the discretion of the PGA’s Rules Committee. But allowing such behavior to go unpunished on the first day of the policy calls into question if it will be used at all or is merely messing up the locker room wallpaper.”
Good point.
My experience with issue exists in tournaments where I volunteer for the Oregon Golf Association. It also has a code of conduct policy and, I have seen it enforced.
The PGA should do the same.
Perspective from the 19th Hole 