News

Tour pro DQ’d from Honda Classic after his green-book was deemed too big under the new rules of golf

Published

2 years ago

Mar 1, 2019

While Thursday’s opening round of the Honda Classic saw Rickie Fowler poke some fun at the rules of golf in an amusing way, it also saw a disqualification which has the unfortunate title of being the first DQ of its kind since the updated rules of golf came in to play.

Alex Cejka is the professional in question, who was deemed to have been using a green-book which did not adhere to the new rules of golf. Cejka had been using last year’s green-book for the Honda Classic throughout the opening round, which contained larger scales of diagrams of the greens than are now allowed on the PGA Tour.

Following the DQ, PGA Tour rules official Robby Ware who informed Cejka of the decision after his 14th hole of the day, stated (per a Golfweek report)

“It was brought to the committee’s attention that Alex might possibly be using some old greens reading materials. Alex was basically using an old yardage book and old greens reading materials that did not fit the size to scale limit. He knew he was using an old book. He told me that. I don’t know that he was completely understanding of what the scale limits are.”

The issue was brought to Cejka’s attention by playing partner Cameron Tringale who noticed the old green-book which the 48-year-old was using, and the latter then called in an official.

Speaking after completing his round, Tringale said

“I saw it and told my caddie. I mentioned it to (Cejka) but was unfamiliar how exactly to proceed. I told the first official I saw what I had seen. I was perplexed. That doesn’t look right. Did I really see that? When we finished the 14th hole, I went to use the bathroom and when I came out I saw (Cejka) riding off in a cart.”

Interestingly, the green-reading book which Cejka had been using during the opening round detailed the greens of PGA National before they were re-vamped following last year’s Honda Classic.

Cejka was level par for his round, and before his DQ, the longest putt he made was from 8′ 6″ on his third hole of the day. Tringale and Palmer completed their opening round of the Honda Classic as a two ball, finishing their rounds one-under par and level par respectively.

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31 Comments

Dan Powers

Mar 1, 2019 at 7:33 pm

So the guy who made the report just happened to go to the bathroom when the rules official shows up? Riiiiiight.

Reply Report comment
Seth Riser

Mar 1, 2019 at 5:08 pm

USGA has nothing better to do than turn golf courses into goat tracks and dream up goofy rules. That’s does it – I’m giving my tour card back.

Reply Report comment
Brad

Mar 1, 2019 at 4:40 pm

Hello PGA, it’s reality calling. Time to dump your decrepit and extremely out of touch friend the USGA. They are destroying you with their bad ideas and senile decision making. Save yourself before it’s too late…

Reply Report comment
Tiger Noods

Mar 1, 2019 at 3:43 pm

Another USGA farce.

What should have happened is like all tournaments, they should provide a book. Every morning, they should provide a pin sheet. All players can work off of those books, because they are the size they are, and players don’t need to bring their own. In fact, on course, they should all be given a “standard”, and they all work from that if they choose.

Personally, I’d like to see them have lasers so the caddies don’t have to do so much math.

Reply Report comment
Terry Johnson

Mar 1, 2019 at 2:21 pm

Pros are playing for so much money they have gotten slower and slower reading books of info,taking everything like wind,conditions,slope, grain,mountains. Eliminate books get electric caddies and let the players figure the conditions like the average golfer. All the aids these pros have today just slow the play down. Give the player a laser and a bag of clubs. Let them figure all this info out with the brain that god gave them and give them a set time to make a shot. Wake up.

Reply Report comment
dixiedoc

Mar 1, 2019 at 11:52 am

The rules are the rules. In any other sport when the rules are changed every professional is aware and either complies or is penalized. It doesn’t take long to read the new rules. If he or his caddie didn’t then they are the ones who are at fault not the USGA. Yes, it’s the USGA that makes the rules not the PGA so don’t blame them.

Reply Report comment
Dave r

Mar 1, 2019 at 11:31 am

Why not just play golf? I used to watch golf on a Thursday to sun . Now I watch the highlights on sports net.the stuff that goes on the course is mind blowing. Yardage books ,green books, balls with lines, some players taking what seems like a month to figure out the wind , slope, elevation, uphill downhill, clouds going the wrong way, the grass is wet or dry. Now add in the new rules you lost me . Can’t wait for the highlites on sports net. These rules officials have ruined the game how about speeding up play there’s a thought you should discuss. When you do I’ll start to watch again, until then have a lovely day.

Reply Report comment
- frank cichon
  
  Mar 1, 2019 at 12:18 pm
  
  I agree with you 100 per cent. I would like to see a Tour where the player can use range finders, but the first player has say 45 seconds to hit and the next 40. If you hit it off the fairway you get NO FREE RELIEF PERIOD. YOU HIT IT THERE, YOU PLAY IT! If winds are an issue Tough…same for everybody …rub of the green. Each group could have 2 scorers and time every player. No green books …..some guys take as long as 15 seconds just to pick up their marker because the LINE on the ball is not aligned right. Int is PAINFUL to watch. IF I watch any golf it is with my PVR…but your idea of just watching the sports on the 11 pm news has just saved me several hours per week .Thank!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - bob carroll
    
    Mar 1, 2019 at 8:22 pm
    
    sounds like european golf.played the old course, foursome on every hole, your butt better be thru in 3 1/2 hours, no exceptions.
    
    Reply Report comment
- D
  
  Mar 1, 2019 at 2:02 pm
  
  Yeah but I bet you sit there on your fat arse watching 4 NFL matches on Sunday though, huh
  How many dumb rules does that game have? It still uses the yardage chain ffs
  
  Reply Report comment
  - beer belly bob
    
    Mar 1, 2019 at 2:26 pm
    
    What is an NFL match? Is that something you watch while sipping tea and eating crumpets?
    
    Reply Report comment
JP

Mar 1, 2019 at 10:56 am

And he pays his caddie how much? Shouldn’t he know the rule too?

Reply Report comment
Joe

Mar 1, 2019 at 10:51 am

Sue them under the ADA that he can’t use the new smaller books because he can’t read them… What a farce….

Reply Report comment
- Mower
  
  Mar 1, 2019 at 1:55 pm
  
  I had to re-read that headline – what the actual f*$#@?
  The green-reading book is too big or it’s last year’s version… why is this a f*#[email protected] issue? Who needs to be punched in the face for making this a rule?
  
  Reply Report comment
dat

Mar 1, 2019 at 10:45 am

Incredibly stupid all around. Golf is becoming a real pain to watch on TV with all of these stupid rule changes. Constantly mentioning them, let alone the enforcement of them, is distracting from the actual game.

Reply Report comment
Drew

Mar 1, 2019 at 9:44 am

Why does information not have a place in the game?

Reply Report comment
- Brian
  
  Mar 1, 2019 at 1:19 pm
  
  Because reading a green is supposed to be a skill. Mapping every contour of the green in a book should be outlawed.
  
  Reply Report comment
jeff

Mar 1, 2019 at 9:36 am

Tringale the snitch

Reply Report comment
Ray

Mar 1, 2019 at 9:08 am

Pretty funny that what he was DQ’d for was a out of date green book since they changed the greens after last year’s Honda Open. How much did they change because it certainly shouldn’t have been helping him, right?

Reply Report comment
Travis

Mar 1, 2019 at 9:04 am

Just be done with green books altogether. Be done with lines on the golf ball too for that matter. Green reading and aiming your putt (just like aiming all other shots in golf) should be a skill.

On the greens is the most significant area of the game the USGA can speed up play for Pros and Ams.

Reply Report comment
- aplynam
  
  Mar 1, 2019 at 9:12 am
  
  Let’s just do away with greens altogether and putt to a hole dug out with a spade by the “greens” keeper.
  
  Reply Report comment
- sal
  
  Mar 1, 2019 at 12:33 pm
  
  I agree, totally. Make the game pure again and speed it up before golf is gone.
  
  Reply Report comment
youraway

Mar 1, 2019 at 8:48 am

The Rule on greens reading material should be even stronger and a good decision was rendered, he should receive a DQ penalty. Oh yes, a professional would’t want to actually understand the Rules of the game they play, would they?

Reply Report comment
alexdub

Mar 1, 2019 at 8:46 am

Classless move by Tringale, IMO. Turning in someone for such a minor (and new) infraction goes against the spirit of the rules of golf. This is not even remotely close to something that you “call in an official” for. Let the round complete and talk to the committee afterwards if you’re that bent up about it.

Reply Report comment
DB

Mar 1, 2019 at 8:44 am

This is actually a good rule change. Tired of seeing players unfold their intricately detailed green-reading map before making a putt. Study that stuff before the round if you want, but it has no place in actually playing the game. Glad they are enforcing this rule.

Reply Report comment
- Joe
  
  Mar 1, 2019 at 10:54 am
  
  Serious question, I’d be curious if before the round started they could mark up a pin location sheet with slopes near the hole…
  
  Reply Report comment
Jerome

Mar 1, 2019 at 8:40 am

Tringale is a NARC!

USGA rules are a joke!

Warriors blew a 3-1 LEAD!

Reply Report comment
- Connor
  
  Mar 1, 2019 at 11:47 am
  
  This made me LOL
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Moses
    
    Mar 3, 2019 at 9:23 am
    
    NARC? More like a RAT
    
    Reply Report comment
Erik Morden

Mar 1, 2019 at 7:22 am

This is just another example of the PGA worrying about small things like a caddy standing behind a player before he lines up for his shot or the distance a player drops a ball. Why are we not seeing stories about PGA officials clamping down on players that take a lifetime to take a shot? If they are so worried about these new rules why don’t we start enforcing the time limit rules?

Reply Report comment
- kevin
  
  Mar 1, 2019 at 8:40 am
  
  having a caddie line up the player isn’t a small thing. it was a time waster and an awful look.
  
  dropping from knee height is dumb and an equally dumb look. i get the intent of the rule, and its still dumb. the difference in height will affect a handful of drops over the course of the season.
  
  Reply Report comment

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News

Morning 9: Bezuidenhout wins Alfred Dunhill | Casey’s Saudi about-face | Jon Rahm a father-to-be

Published

10 hours ago

Nov 30, 2020

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt

Email me at [email protected]; and find me on Twitter and Instagram.

November 30, 2020

Good Monday morning, golf fans. Happy to be back with all of you, and I hope Thanksgiving was filled with both good food and gratitude.

1. Bezuidenhout wins at Leopard Creek

EuropeanTour.com report…”Christiaan Bezuidenhout claimed his second European Tour title as a brilliantly composed bogey-free back nine of 34 handed him a four shot victory at the 2020 Alfred Dunhill Championship.”

“The home favourite entered the final day at Leopard Creek Country Club three shots off the lead and despite making a double and a bogey on the front nine to turn in 35, he had trimmed that gap to one at the turn.”

“As the rest of the leading contenders fought for their maiden victories, Bezuidenhout then used all of his experience to card three birdies on the way home in a 69 to finish at 14 under, clear of England’s Richard Bland, American Sean Crocker, Pole Adrian Meronk and South African Jayden Schaper.”

Full piece.

2. Rahms expecting

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Jon Rahm had a little extra to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.”

“Sure, the 26-year-old won twice and reached No. 1 in the world for the first time, but that wasn’t why. Instead, Rahm revealed Friday via social media that he and his wife, Kelley, are expecting their first child.”

“Feeling extra grateful this year, Happy Thanksgiving from us and our growing family!” said Rahm, who didn’t disclose any other details.

Full piece.

3. Casey’s about-face on Saudi Arabia

Golfweek’s Tim Schmitt…”Paul Casey responded to those attacking him for hypocrisy after he previously stood strong against playing in Saudi Arabia — and now has agreed to play there in 2021.”

…“This is not a decision I’ve taken lightly. I wasn’t comfortable going in the past, but I have always been open-minded and willing to learn. I believe sport has the power to affect change. I’ve listened to the Saudi’s commitment to this and their vision for the future,” Casey said in a statement released to Golfweek a few other select members of the media.

“They have successfully hosted two professional ladies tournaments which shows that Golf Saudi have big plans not only for professional golf, but more so for grassroots and the next generation.”

Full piece.

4. Pedersen’s treble

Golfweek’s JuliaKate E. Culpepper…”It’s been a good November for Emily Kristine Pedersen.”

“Following rounds of 68-71-68, Denmark’s Pedersen shot a final-round 66 to win the Ladies European Tour’s Andalucia Open De Espana Sunday at 15 under — her third straight win.”

“Pedersen, 24, was coming off a pair of wins at The Saudi Ladies Team International at Royal Greens Golf & Country in Saudi Arabia.”

Full piece.

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5. Are Masters, U.S. Open ratings concerning?

Tim Schmitt at Golfweek with explanations for the…incredibly modest…ratings for the majors in general.

“The jumbled schedule didn’t help…The schedule we’ve all come to know and expect is the schedule for a reason. April is the perfect time to kick off the golf season and the Masters sees little competition in its familiar time slot. The U.S. Open has similarly enjoyed success due to its traditional Father’s Day placement and a fairly free spot on the sports calendar…”

“Football is still king…When it was announced that times for the Masters would be moved up to ensure there was little or no overlap with major college football games and the late NFL matchups, some golf purists were miffed…”

“More platforms, more splintering…Although CBS’ numbers for the PGA Championship were down, ESPN’s early coverage of the event saw a 35 percent increase in viewership and the largest average on cable since 2010.”

Full piece.

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Paul McGinley, who is looking quite impressive in his SkySports headshot, writes…”I think it’s the right partnership for the European Tour and I think it’s the right partnership for golf. There’s a long way to go, but I really do believe this is the beginning of something that’s the right thing for our sport.”

“The view that most people within the game would have is that there are too many governing bodies within the sport. This is the first real big step in tying everything together, which I think is something that golf needs.”

…”Three of the four major championships are played in America every year and a lot of the World Golf Championships have migrated back to the USA. I think the players can eventually expect, hopefully from a European point of view, a more international flavour to the world’s best events.”

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…”She says to me, ‘Will you play golf with my boyfriend, Phil?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, yeah, OK.’”

“She says, ‘You going to play golf with my boyfriend, Phil?’” Barkley said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’ll play golf with your boyfriend, Phil.’”

“Three months go by. Still nothing.”

“She says, ‘Are you ever going to play golf with my boyfriend, Phil?’” Barkleys said. “I’m like, ‘OK, Amy, I like you. What’s the deal? What’s his name?’ She said, ‘Phil Mickelson.’

“I said, ‘What? You going out with Phil Mickelson?’ I said, ‘Amy in the future, you start out with my boyfriend, Phil Mickelson. I thought you were going out with Phil the bartender. I would have canceled everything I was doing to go play golf with the great Phil Mickelson. But she started out with, ‘My boyfriend, Phil.’ How the hell am I supposed to know his last name is Mickelson.”

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8. Bezuidenhout’s winning WITB

Driver: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (8.5 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana DF 60 TX

3-wood: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (15 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana DF 70 TX

Hybrid: Callaway Mavrik Pro (19 degrees)

Irons: Callaway X Forged ’18 (4-PW)

Shaft: KBS Tour 125 S+

Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy Forged (50, 54, 60 degrees)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Putter: Odyssey Works Big T #5

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

9. End-of-2020 call for submissions at GolfWRX

A new call for submissions at GolfWRX: Have your voice heard on the largest golf news website that publishes reader contributions!

Learn about the Featured Writer program in general, what we’re looking for with this call in particular, and how to easily submit your writing for publication.

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News

Ed Murray, brother of Bill, and patriarch of the Murray golf family passes away

Published

3 days ago

Nov 27, 2020

Ryan Barath

As first reported on the Willian Murray Golf Instagram page, Ed Murray, the eldest of the famous Murray brother, and the inspiration for Caddyshack has passed away at the age of 76.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by William Murray Golf (@williammurraygolf)

As per the statement

“Ed was the recipient of the Evans Scholarship back in 1963, while attending Northwestern University—a scholarship awarded to golf caddies—a family storyline which served as inspiration for the Danny Noonan character in ‘Caddyshack’ when Brian Doyle-Murray co-wrote that iconic screenplay.

Ed and all five Murray brothers are members of the Caddie Hall of Fame, as well—something all the boys take pride in, as this game helped shape their lives.”

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News

Morning 9: Mickelson dials up pre-Match chatter | Korda sisters land GD cover | Augenstein on going pro

Published

6 days ago

Nov 24, 2020

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By Ben Alberstadt

Email me at [email protected]; and find me on Twitter and Instagram.

November 24, 2020

Good Monday morning, golf fans. May you enjoy your Thursday feasting and giving of thanks and Friday shopping! I will see you all next Monday.

1. Augenstein energized

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Augenstein went on to reach the semifinals of the U.S. Junior Amateur that summer. He later signed with the Commodores and made an instant impact as a freshman, winning two extra-hole matches to lead Vanderbilt to its first SEC title in 2017. The one they call “Flash” – or, as this writer has coined, “Johnny Golf” – continued to establish himself as one of the preeminent match-play competitors in amateur golf, going 8-1 in the format between conference and nationals while also finishing runner-up at the 2019 U.S. Amateur and scoring the winning point for last year’s U.S. Walker Cup team at Royal Liverpool. Last spring as a senior, he was named SEC Player of the Year and an All-American for the fourth time.

“In other words, Augenstein left quite the mark on the Vanderbilt program. From “best player here” to one of Vanderbilt’s best ever.”

“As a coach, you dream of being able to coach guys like John Augenstein,” said Limbaugh, who on Monday had to say so long to his superstar.

“After four and a half seasons in Nashville, Augenstein announced that he has decided to forego the final semester of his extra year of eligibility and turn professional.”

Full piece.

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“If I can hit the green, and let him putt, that’s our strategy on that. Same thing on the drivable par 4s. We saw what happened in Match II where we were really getting beat up pretty good and then Tom and I, on 11, I drive the green and he rolls the putt in for eagle and it just turns the whole match the other way.”

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3 Korda sisters land Golf Digest cover

…and Keely Levins landed the Q&A…Good background on the pair which could eventually be written in the history books best golfing sister duo ever.

How do you balance being sisters and competitors?

Nelly: You’re always competing against the golf course, my parents always said.

Jess: People like to put us against each other all the time to see if they can spark a rivalry or something. But we just keep disappointing everybody.

Nelly: We have little side bets here and there. At the end of the day, we want the best for each other, even though we want to beat each other as well. You go into every tournament wanting to win.

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Nick Piecoro for the Arizona Republic…”The annual event at TPC Scottsdale is known for its raucous, jam-packed crowds. It can feel like a tailgate party, rock concert, beer festival and sporting event rolled into one. It is a defining event on the Valley’s social calendar, an excuse even for non-golf fans to head to the course and bask in the sunshine.”

“But no one knows what elements of Phoenix Opens past will be visible the first week of February, when the tournament is scheduled to take place.”

“For now, organizers expect to go forward with the event. They say it will be scaled down in every respect. Gone will be many of the temporary structures that ran parallel to the course. Organizers hope to have fans, albeit nothing close to the 200,000-plus who typically turn out on Fridays and Saturdays.”

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5. England’s courses reopen

Elliott Heath for Golf Monthly…”Golf courses in England will be allowed to re-open on 2nd December as the country exits its second lockdown.”

“UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that the rule of six will once again apply so it looks like fourballs will also be back.”

“The country is going back to its Tier system, with each region set to find out on Thursday…More regions will fall into higher tiers than previously, Boris Johnson said.”

Full piece.

6. Course whisperer readying the Ocean Course

The Post and Courier’s Jeff Hartsell…”The man known as the PGA Championship’s “course whisperer,” Kerry Haigh, is keeping an eye on those ever-increasing distances as he prepares the Ocean Course for its next turn on the golf world’s main stage. The Ocean Course, designed by the late, great Pete Dye, has hosted the famed “War by the Shore” Ryder Cup of 1991 and the 2012 PGA Championship, where McIlroy dusted the field by eight shots.”

“But with the PGA moved from August to May on the golf calendar, and with long hitters such as Bryson DeChambeau leading the distance evolution in the game, the Ocean Course will face a new challenge next year. The PGA Championship, set for May 20-23, will be the second major on golf’s 2021 calendar, following The Masters in April. Haigh, chief championships officer for the PGA of America, is responsible for the operation and course set up for the PGA Championships. He visited the Ocean Course last week to check on preparations. His goal, he said, is to not be the subject of any post-PGA analysis, good or bad.”

Full Piece

7. Pro-Am golf: Reifers captures TaylorMade Pebble Beach Tournament title

John Devine of the Monterey Herald…”Sitting five strokes off the pace after Thursday’s opening round, Reifers inched closer each day before producing the lowest score on Sunday to capture the 49th TaylorMade Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tournament. Reifers overcame fast and firm conditions at Pebble Beach Golf Course to finish 4-under-par, erasing a one stroke deficit to win the tournament by three strokes over Kirk Triplett, a four-time winner of various tournaments at Pebble Beach. Finishing a combined 13-under, Reifers used a pair of eagles on the second and third holes at Pebble Beach to grab his first lead of the four-day event, which was played at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay over the first three days.”

Full Piece

8. h/t Geoff Shackelford: CBS Moneywatch on golf participation

Another item for the “golf is booming” cornucopia…Via Geoff Shackelford…”CBS Moneywatch’s Megan Cerullo doesn’t tell us much we haven’t already read about golf in the pandemic. Still, after years of stories about the decline of the sport’s participation numbers, it’s worth noting pieces like this one, if nothing else to highlight that a resurgence in the game had nothing to do with the opportunity to spend $600 for ten more yards off the tee.”

“In August, consumers spent a record $331 million on clubs, balls, gloves and other gear — that was up 32% over the year-ago period and topped the previous sales record for that month in 2006, according to Golf Datatech.”

“For the first 10 months of 2020, golf equipment sales were up nearly 30% compared to the same period last year, Matt Powell, an analyst with market research firm NPD Group, told CBS MoneyWatch. Training tools, such as hitting screens, swing aids and putting matts are up 75% as enthusiasts practice their technique away from the golf course.”