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USGA tells Bryson DeChambeau’s his compass violates Rule 14-3a
Bryson DeChambeau’s use of a compass (in conjunction with his yardage book to find “true hole locations”) at last month’s Travelers Championship was initially a source of amusement in the social media sphere.
Then, the situation became anything but funny for DeChambeau himself, as the PGA Tour and USGA began a discussion about potential rules being broken and whether he ought to be able to continue to to use the device.
The PGA Tour had temporarily given DeChambeau permission to use the device while putting the ball in the USGA’s court. Yesterday, the USGA announced DeChambeau’s compass use is a violation of Rule 14-3a.
The USGA released a statement to GolfChannel.com: “At the request of the PGA Tour, the USGA and the R&A reviewed Bryson DeChambeau’s stated use of a drawing compass to assist him in determining ‘true’ hole locations, and jointly determined that his specific usage would be in breach of Rule 14-3, if used in a future round.
“The Rule prohibits a player, during a stipulated round, from using any artificial device or unusual equipment, or using any equipment in an abnormal manner, that ‘might assist him in making a stroke or in his play.’ Because a compass is not a usual piece of equipment in golf, and Bryson clearly stated that he had used the device to assist him, the USGA, R&A and the PGA Tour agreed it was in the best interest of the game to share this determination with Bryson immediately. In doing so before his next round, we have made every effort to assist Bryson in avoiding possible disqualification and provide clarity to the PGA Tour and other players in the field.”
According to Golf Digest’s Joel Beall writes, John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director of rules, competitions and equipment standards, spoke with DeChambeau for 45 minutes on July 3.
“With some of these sorts of devices, it can be difficult lines to draw on what’s permissible and what is not permissible,” Bodenhamer said. “But here, we drew the line there with Rule 14-3.”
The text of Rule 14-3a states
14-3. Artificial Devices and Unusual Equipment; Abnormal Use of Equipment
Rule 14-3 governs the use of equipment and devices (including electronic devices) that might assist a player in making a specific stroke or generally in his play.
Golf is a challenging game in which success should depend on the judgement, skills and abilities of the player. This principle guides the USGA in determining whether the use of any item is in breach of Rule 14-3.
Except as provided in the Rules, during a stipulated round the player must not use any artificial device or unusual equipment, or use any equipment in an abnormal manner:
a. That might assist him in making a stroke or in his play
This is DeChambeau’s second run-in with U.S. golf’s governing body. In 2017, the USGA ruled DeChambeau’s sidesaddle putter non-conforming.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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Ell
Jul 9, 2018 at 4:14 pm
My required fields were marked!
Man
Jul 9, 2018 at 2:18 am
I will have a GPS tracker plugged into my brain that tells me from the Google maps GPS satellite where I am standing on the planet
Bob Parson Jr.
Jul 8, 2018 at 11:39 am
And the USGA wonders why their membership is in decline…..
Daniel Whitehurst
Jul 8, 2018 at 1:39 am
So he’s trying to find the true hole location. So he obviously found a discrepancy between the hole sheet and the actual location. So how is it an advantage if he finds the true location? It would be a disadvantage to not try to find it. Way to go USGA using common sense again in rules decisions. The next decision you make just do the opposite and all will be good. You’re welcome
Bruce Ferguson
Jul 7, 2018 at 7:57 pm
Whatever frivolous advantage in knowledge he might gain regarding the true hole location, he still has to make the shot. Excessive hair-splitting in the rules department, IMO.
Pete O'Tube
Jul 7, 2018 at 4:02 pm
Have a look at the putt, your first look is the best. Then just hit it for goodness sake. Bin the encyclopedias in the back pocket and GET ON WITH IT!!
Richard Douglas
Jul 7, 2018 at 10:44 am
There’s a prominent player on Tour who keeps a strip of white medical tape on a particular finger. This shows the player where his hand is on the grip. This sort of alignment tool for the grip is against the rules, yet this player’s use of it has been tolerated for more than 2 decades.
Daniel Whitehurst
Jul 8, 2018 at 1:34 am
If your referring to Tiger you couldn’t be more wrong. 1 he does that because that’s his high pressure point on his right hand and 2 not 1 good player with a good grip or pro needs a piece of tape on his hand to tell him where to grip the club, gimmie a break . That’s why they “allow it”. Plus grips come available with ridges up the back called reminders.
OninTwoDowninOne
Jul 8, 2018 at 2:22 am
Richard…yep. What an Richard comment. A pro needs tape on a finger to determine hand placement, does it work for you?
Josh
Jul 7, 2018 at 1:33 am
BAN GREEN READING BOOKS THEN TOO
Wiger Toods
Jul 6, 2018 at 8:57 pm
Also, did no one call them out for the awful quote, “…it can be difficult lines to draw on what’s permissible…”
Jerks.
Wiger Toods
Jul 6, 2018 at 8:56 pm
I hope he ties two pencils together. This is an absolute crock. Bryson, get a super-bendy two sided pencil!!
Google “Bencil”
Brad
Jul 6, 2018 at 6:57 pm
The USGA hates Bryson Dechambeau. They hate that he is playing well and will take every opportunity to undermine him anyway they possibly can. If Tiger Woods wanted to use an abacus and measuring tape on the greens they would probably allow him to do so.
Man
Jul 6, 2018 at 7:59 pm
No, they wouldn’t, so stop stroking his c
JN
Jul 6, 2018 at 5:31 pm
No looking at the sun either!
Fingers
Jul 6, 2018 at 4:15 pm
So is it now illegal to walk off yardages if a person knows what a 1 yard stride is or if someone wants to get real technical and their shoe is exactly 12″ are they banned from using that as a measuring device too? Im asking for a friend…. And does plumbobbing fall under this measuring device rule too?
Roy
Jul 6, 2018 at 4:07 pm
So a book that details every possible break in the green is legal, but 2 6 inch metal sticks stuck together are not???
Jeff
Jul 6, 2018 at 2:50 pm
This is just silly. The USGA is tripping. You still have to putt the ball. If a protractor is a helpful with green reading, putting stroke or getting my ball started on line then I would understand the ban but come on.
Ray
Jul 6, 2018 at 2:38 pm
There goes my green lantern secret decoder ring and my use of the North Star…seems the USGA can prohibit any and everything with the language unusual…they are as ridiculous as the NCAA…
Jamie
Jul 6, 2018 at 12:53 pm
Guess we won’t get to see the gyroscope to measure the earth’s rotation. Whew! A few hundred people would have laughed themselves to death.
Adam
Jul 6, 2018 at 12:41 pm
Why do I have the feeling DeChambeau is/was trolling the USGA just to see what their idiotic response would be?
Richard Douglas
Jul 7, 2018 at 10:47 am
This is an excellent observation/speculation. I still haven’t heard what the real use of this object is–saying it’s for locating pin locations is an inadequate (and nonsensical) explanation.
The only problem with this hypothesis is that it would take a very long time for anyone at the USGA to wake up and notice its use; Bryson would have to troll them for quite some time. Hard to imagine spending time on a practical joke when he’s trying (and succeeding) to win tournaments. Still….
JJD
Jul 6, 2018 at 12:31 pm
Next up… star charts.
Brian
Jul 6, 2018 at 10:10 am
I’m surprised DeChambeau hasn’t brought in survey equipment at this point.