Tour News
Jon Rahm has another rules incident at the British Open
Two weeks after his rules-related debacle at the Irish Open, Jon Rahm is again butting up against the Rules of Golf at Royal Birkdale.
The Spaniard, who carded an opening-round one-under 69, was approach his ball in the rough at the 17th hole. Rahm spotted a vine next to his ball. Assuming the vine was dead, and thus a (removable) loose impediment, he grabbed it.
“I got there and I thought it was a loose impediment because it looked dead, so I just moved it to the side. And that’s when [playing partner] Lee [Westwood] came and he realized it was attached.”
At this point, Rahm let the thorny obstruction go and summoned the authorities. The question at issue was whether Rahm improved the lie in the course of his vine-grabbing.
Interestingly, Rahm was provisionally assessed the requisite two-stroke penalty, carding a seven on the hole.
He then met with officials to review the incident after they round, they determined that he hadn’t improved his lie, and thus, shouldn’t be assessed a penalty.
“The discussion was was it an improvement of the lie or not; that’s it. I explained my version of what happened. Unfortunately for me I was the only one who saw it; there were no cameras to back me up. That’s what happened and it was never on my lie, it was never on my line, it was never on my swing path, it was not going to bother my in any way.”
Rahm said he didn’t try to lobby for not having committed the infraction, but rather he simply recounted what happened to the best of his ability and let them make their decision.
“At the end of the day it’s not my call, honestly. I can describe what happened as honestly and truthfully as possible, and as detailed as can happen, and they make the judgment call. it’s up to them.
“They did say it was a very fine line, but the decision is up to them. I would’ve been fine with whatever. They’re the rules officials; they know the rules better than any of us, and it’s their call. I said the same two weeks ago.”
Obviously, two rules situations in three weeks isn’t the best look, but any suggestions the fiery Spaniard is trying to bend the rules are misplaced based on the available evidence.
You can watch Rahm recount the entire incident in more detail to the Golf Channel, below.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.
As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.
General Albums
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #1
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- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Thorbjorn Olesen – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ben Silverman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jesse Droemer – SoTX PGA Section POY – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- David Lipsky – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Martin Trainer – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Zac Blair – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jacob Bridgeman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Trace Crowe – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Daniel Berger – WITB(very mini) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Chesson Hadley – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Callum McNeill – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Rhein Gibson – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Patrick Fishburn – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
Pullout Albums
- Tom Hoge’s custom Cameron – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Piretti putters – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ping putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Kevin Dougherty’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Bettinardi putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Players Championship
On the heels of Scottie Scheffler’s dominant victory at Bay Hill, the PGA Tour heads a little farther north in Florida to TPC Sawgrass this week for The Players Championship. And of course, GolfWRX is on site to get a look at what the players are playing.
We’ve already spotted a new Titleist mini driver this week, and there’s plenty more.
Check out our photos below!
Pullout Albums
- New Titleist 2 wood – 2024 The Players Championship
- Cam Young testing Titleist’s new 2-wood – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Hole Nos. 17 and 18 – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Toulon Small Batch Texas putter – 2024 The Players Championship
- Swag Golf custom headcovers – 2024 The Players Championship
- New Ping PLD staff bags – 2024 The Players Championship
- SuperStroke St. Patrick’s Day putter grip – 2024 The Players Championship
- Taylor Montgomery using PuttView X training goggles – 2024 The Players Championship
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Photos from the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
GolfWRX is on the ground in Orlando ahead of the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
We’re assembling our usual collection of WITB photos, general galleries, and of course, gear inspired by the King himself.
We’ll continue to add to the photos below as more flow in from Florida.
General Albums
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Monday #1
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Monday #2
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Monday #3
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #2
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #1 (thanks, bvmagic!)
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #3 (bvmagic)
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #2 (bvmagic)
WITB Albums
- Matt (LFG) Every – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Sahith Theegala – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Scottie Scheffler – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Luke List – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Taylor Moore – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- David Ford – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Patrick Cantlay – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
Pullout Albums
- New Cameron putters (and new “LD” grip) – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- New Bettinardi MB & CB irons – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Custom Bettinardi API putter cover – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Custom Swag API covers – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- New Golf Pride Reverse Taper grips – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- New PXG putters – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Scottie Scheffler putter change – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Sepp Straka – shaft change to new Ventus blue – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Rickie Fowler’s new Cobra Darkspeed X driver and Denali shaft (and Radspeed 3-wood) – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Justin Rose testing Srixon Z Forged II irons – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Bert
Jul 23, 2017 at 8:48 am
“IT LOOKED DEAD, SO I JUST MOVED IT TO THE SIDE” To the side of what? Once moved 2-shots.
Rich Douglas
Jul 22, 2017 at 8:41 pm
Rahm did the right thing–in calling over the rules official. He did NOT, however, make the right call on the action. It should have been a penalty for improving his lie. But why?
Rahm says the vine in question was not on his line and not in his way. Okay, but why did he attempt to remove it? It’s presence, obviously, was problematic, even if just visually. That means pulling on it improved his lie, even if just visually. He should have checked it carefully instead of assuming it was dead AND detached. (Being dead wouldn’t be enough.)
But because he brought in the rules officials and, after the round, they interviewed him further and decided in his favor, it’s much ado about nothing. The number of “Shanks” this article is being given is disappointing.
Nagah
Jul 22, 2017 at 9:29 am
It took seven seconds to move the vine !
Adam
Jul 22, 2017 at 2:34 am
Major issue with golf’s honor code system. Unless you’re a silver spoon/country club kid, you are breaking the rules. You’re sneaking onto courses, practicing where you’re not supposed to, whatever it takes.
You’re used to hearing, “you aren’t allowed to do that.” You’ve been threatened with arrest for traspassing, been verbally abused, you name it.
And yet, if you don’t break the rules, or the law, you’re unlikely ever to be great unless you’re rich. The whole “honor” thing doesn’t work if you’re broke.
Adam
Jul 22, 2017 at 2:00 am
First, a major college coach told me last week that there’s cheating in college golf but that they drill into their players, “don’t be that guy.”
The message is that if you have to cheat, you’re just not that good.
As to Rahm, only he knows for sure. If he broke the rules, he should call a penalty on himself.
JThunder
Jul 21, 2017 at 9:12 pm
Also, why is “Shank” the lowest rating? Many of these “stories” deserve a “whiff” – at least with a shank, you make some kind of contact, albeit horrible, embarrassing and debilitating… A swing and a miss is still worse.
JThunder
Jul 21, 2017 at 9:10 pm
“Obviously, two rules situations in three weeks isn’t the best look, but any suggestions the fiery Spaniard is trying to bend the rules are misplaced based on the available evidence.”
And yet, this article exists, the title of which is typical sensationalist media – aka click-bait.
“Non-incident”?
Golf would be best served to allow the rules officials to do their jobs the best they can, and forget about the TV-watcher and forum-troll wanna-bes.
*This* is the kind of nit-picky garbage that can drive people away from the game. What kind wants to take up a game where moving a twig gives you a two-stroke penalty? The baby-boomers raised their kids to be *WAY* more entitled than that…
Dave R
Jul 21, 2017 at 8:25 pm
It was growing much like his nose. Two strokes that’s it.
Matt
Jul 20, 2017 at 11:02 pm
I find the article confusing. They don’t make it clear who brought up the infraction. Was it Rahm or Westwood. They allude to both. If its Rahm – totally cool. Two rules infractions in a couple weeks aren’t a big deal. Coincidence, if anything Rahm is a stickler on himself. If Westwood had to raise this, it changes the story completely. How bad was the infraction that Westwood noticed him removing a fixed impediment. Must’ve been at least mildly obvious.
Rwj
Jul 21, 2017 at 3:54 am
Lee Westwood brought to Rahm’s attention the vine was attached which would be a rules infraction. Interesting that his view is that it was in no way on line, path, etc…then why did you even touch it? Coincidence this type of thing happens to Rahm again, although I believe he should have been penalized at the Irish Open, he seems shady to say the least never calling the penalty on himself. This doesn’t seem to back what used to be the gentleman’s game. Maybe the college coaches should teach these guys the rules while they are in college playing. What are the coaches doing with them during their time on the team?
Woodster
Jul 20, 2017 at 9:29 pm
“it was never on my lie, it was never on my line, it was never on my swing path, it was not going to bother my in any way”
So if that is the case, why move it all? The fact that Lee Westwood had to be the one to raise the issue is even more incriminating.
Matt
Jul 20, 2017 at 11:00 pm
Did Westwood or Rahm raise it? The article says Rahm called an official.
Dat
Jul 20, 2017 at 5:54 pm
Cheating is cheating.
2putttom
Jul 21, 2017 at 4:46 pm
“Rahm said he didn’t try to lobby for not having committed the infraction, but rather he simply recounted what happened to the best of his ability and let them make their decision” ….
J Witness
Jul 20, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Apparently the rules of golf don’t apply to Spanish players…
*See Sergio at the Masters