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19th Hole

Junior golfer penalized for using rangefinder in tournament…from 40 yards

Published

6 years ago

on

Unlike most junior competitions, rangefinder use is not permitted at this week’s Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. Akshay Bhatia forgot this and paid the price.

Facing a pitch shot from short of the green at Sage Valley’s par-5 fourth hole, Bhatia busted out his rangefinder and shot the pin, determining that he was 40 yards away. His next determination: He just made a big mistake, forgetting that the devices were not permitted at the Invitational.

Kids these days! Too reliant on technology and all that. 40 yards away, come on! But really, it’s an unfortunate error. The pro move, obviously, is not to even have the rangefinder in the bag. Bhatia, just 16, received this wisdom the hard way.

“I knew I couldn’t use a rangefinder, but I decided to take it out for some reason and use it… It’s my fault. I should’ve taken it out of the golf bag (before the round). It sucks, but I’m grateful I’m still in this position and not disqualified.” said Bhatia, per Golfweek.

Bhatia was hit with a two-shot penalty for the violation, carding a double-bogey seven on the hole accordingly. However, he still managed to tally a four-under 68 for his opening round and was tied for the lead after the first day of competition.

Coaches would be better equipped to dive deep into this one, but there are a couple of angles to approach range finder use from 40 yards out in general. However, I’ll say this. While it’s easy to say, “What the hell do you need a rangefinder from 40 yards for?” Here are a few more thoughts.

  1. Bhatia may stick to a fixed pre-shot routine on drives and approaches. The rangefinder use may be part of that. Thus, he erroneously pressed play on his usual routine before realizing his error.
  2. If Bhatia only uses a rangefinder situationally, it’s worth saying that an awkward third-shot yardage at a par-5 is a situation where you may want to get an exact yardage…it’s not like he was 11 yards out or something.
  3. Maybe he’s of the Dave Pelz-ian school and “timed wedges,” in which case he’d want the exact number, rather than merely feeling the distance for a 60-degree wedge shot, etc.

I don’t know, GolfWRXers, what do you think?

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19th Hole

Report: Tiger Woods voted against Rory McIlroy returning to policy board; Will be the only player negotiating directly with Saudis

Published

9 hours ago

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May 9, 2024

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According to a report from The Telegraph, the relationship between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy has soured.

Last week, reports surfaced that McIlroy, who was a member of the PGA Tour policy board during most of the past few years, was looking to rejoin the board, presumably taking Webb Simpson’s seat.

However, on Wednesday, McIlroy revealed that he will not be rejoining the policy board, due to people on the board being “uncomfortable” with that “for some reason.”

The Telegraph has reported that Tiger Woods was among the players who voted against McIlroy returning to the policy board.

The divide is apparently due to McIlroy pushing for the game of golf to unify, whereas Woods, reportedly, believes the PGA Tour is in a fine position where it currently stands.

The Associated Press added another wrinkle to the situation, reporting that Woods is the only player who will be negotiating directly with the Saudis.

The other members of the committee are PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, board chairman Joe Gorder, John W. Henry of Fenway Sports Group, and Joe Ogilvie, who was a former PGA Tour player.

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19th Hole

Phil Mickelson reveals he won’t be pursuing broadcasting career when he retires from golf

Published

1 day ago

on

May 8, 2024

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On Tuesday, Chris McKee, a Toronto writer and radio host, wondered aloud on his X account if Phil Mickelson will be a commentator after his playing days are over.

“The second Phil Mickelson retires he’ll instantly become the most sought after TV analyst in golf. Would any PGA Tour broadcaster (CBS, ESPN, NBC or Sky) bring him in or would he have to stick to LIV broadcasts? #LIVGolf”

Mickelson saw the post and responded, saying he’s not interested in moving from the course to the broadcast booth.

“Thank you for the kind words. However, just cuz someone CAN do something doesn’t mean they SHOULD do it. Instead of commentating, I’m going to shoot some Pros vs Schmos 9 hole matches. I’ll share insights throughout as well as talk a little smack. It won’t be the highest quality video but it’ll be fun for me to do and fun to watch I think too.”

While I believe many fans would like to see Phil in the booth, his idea of “Pro’s vs Schmo’s” could certainly be intriguing.

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19th Hole

PGA Tour pro sounds off on ‘unfair’ PGA Championship invites

Published

1 day ago

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May 8, 2024

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This week, the PGA of America made some surprising announcements regarding the field of next week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.

The event now will feature 16 LIV players with Talor Gooch, Dean Burmester, David Puig, Adrian Meronk and Patrick Reed receiving special exemptions.

PGA Tour player, Dylan Wu, took issue with how the exemptions were used and went to X to share his thoughts.

“Why is there never “real” qualifications for the PGA Championship? You have a points list and World ranking invite. Usually just outside top 100 in OWGR gets in. Chan Kim ranked 104th in OWGR doesn’t get in. SH Kim at 107th isn’t in.”

“Jesper Svennson ranked 108th gets in. Tim Widing 120th gets in. Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald gets a spot. A bunch of guys get leapfrogged even though they’re ranked higher than others. Seems like they just invite whoever they want. Unfair to the guys on the edge like Chan and SH”

“Just seems like the world of professional golf is in a weird spot and I love that the tournament invited a handful of great LIV players but figure out a correct system for a major championship where guys know they’ll be in or not. ????”

Fans who replied to Wu seemed to agree that a more definitive ranking system for the PGA Championship should be established.

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